Chained to You
by Shinkeru
Summary: When Paul turns up in Dawn's life after ten years and asks her for a favor, both of their lives are irrevocably changed.  Ikarishipping
1. Here We Are

**Disclaimer**: Yeah... I don't own Pokémon. I own nothing. Except my GameBoy. I can live with that.

- / - / - / -

He'd just gotten into town, and it looked like there was a festival going on. He'd never really been a fan of social gatherings, but he knew now that he really needed to start socializing. At least, he did if he ever wanted to become the Champion, according to Reggie.

So, Paul wandered through the crowds in Hearthome City, ignoring the whispers and pointing he was so used to now. _Well, no one said being a nationally recognized trainer would be easy, now, did they? _ Paul thought wryly to himself. Thirteen years after starting his Pokémon journey, he was a favorite to finally defeat the long-time Champion, Cynthia.

But, as his dear, sweet brother Reggie had pointed out, no one liked Paul. Paul gnashed his teeth as the memory of his brothers' words.

"Paul, man, I'm happy for you and the fact that you just might beat Cynthia soon. I am. But... What're you going to do if you become the Champion? 'Cause... Well, no offense, but you've always pushed people away, kept them at a safe distance, y'know?"

"What's your point, Reggie?" Paul had asked, trying to see why that would stop him from being an excellent Champion of the Sinnoh Region.

"You're alone," Reggie said, as though it was obvious. "Like, _alone_ alone."

"Again, I say... What's your point, Reggie?"

"People like to see a Champion with good people skills," Reggie said patiently. "And you don't have those."

Paul returned to the present after nearly walking into a souvenir cart. He muttered an apology to the cart's keeper and continued wending his way through the crowd.

_I need to be able to battle to be the Champion, _Paul thought bitterly. _I don't need people skills. And I certainly don't need... that._

Reggie had suggested, oh-so-subtly, that Paul find a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend, if that was what Paul was into.

"Really, little brother," Reggie had said. "Would it be the end of the world to actually interact with other people?"

"Yes."

"C'mon, I'm trying to help you out here," Reggie sighed. "I think you need a girlfriend, little brother."

"No."

"Fine, a boyfriend, then," Reggie corrected. Paul glared at him. "What? You never talk to me about that stuff. I don't know what you like."

"It's none of your business," Paul said with finality. "If I don't want a _girlfriend_, I won't get one."

"Hey, mister!" a little boy's voice pulled Paul out of his thoughts. He looked down to see a blond boy of about seven years staring at him in awe. "You're that super-awesome trainer that's gonna beat Cynthia out of the Champion's title!"

"Uh... ," Paul looked at the kid, unsure of how to answer. "Yeah."

"Awesome!" the boy squealed. "Can I get your autograph? Please, pretty please?"

Paul stared at the kid for a long moment before the child's mother ran over and pulled him away, saying, "Hurry up, Connor, the show's about to start! Sorry if he was bothering you, sir."

Paul shrugged and watched the kid get dragged away to watch 'the show.' What was the show?

"Hey," Paul called over to one of the nearby cart proprietors. The man glanced up from the magazine he'd been reading. "What's going on?"

"The Gym Leader and some hotshot Contest Coordinator are having a demonstration," the man answered, sounding bored. "Showin' off moves and stuff, I guess."

"Oh," Paul said. "Thanks."

The man went back to his magazine. The street, which had been crowded with hundreds of people until a moment ago, was now completely deserted. Paul wandered down the street towards the Contest Hall. He had zero interest in Contests at all, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do. He didn't want to go back to Veilstone and get harassed by Reggie again, and his Pokémon were at the Pokémon center, so training wasn't an option either.

He got to the Contest Hall in time for the final battle. _Thank Arceus I missed the damn appeals, _Paul thought, walking to a pillar with a good view of the stage and leaning against it. _Wonder who the trainer up against Fantina is?_

Fantina stood on one side of the battlefield in her floor-length sparkly purple ball gown, weighing a Pokéball in her hand. Standing opposite her was a woman with dark blue hair, wearing a knee-length, dark pink dress, tossing her chosen Pokéball up in the air and catching it again. She was the picture of confidence.

"Mismagius, battle position, s'il vous plaît !" Fantina yelled, throwing the Pokéball high into the air. The Ghost-type Pokémon materialized in a flash of red light.

"Just like I thought," the woman opposite her said, smiling slightly. She, too, threw her Pokéball, shouting, "Quilava, spotlight!"

The woman's Quilava appeared, and shook his head quickly, as if preparing himself for the battle.

"Mismagius, use Shadow Ball, tout de suite!" Fantina called. The dark purple Pokémon gathered a ball of dark energy before releasing it effortlessly.

"Dodge it, Quilava," the other woman ordered, "Then counter it with your Flamethrower!"

The little Fire-type leapt neatly aside, the Shadow Ball missing him by several feet.

"Quil-_lava_!" Quilava opened its mouth and shot a stream of flames at Mismagius. Fantina told her Pokémon to dodge, but too late; the Flamethrower hit the target.

"Beautiful, Quilava," the woman praised. "Now, use your Swift attack!"

_What the hell is she thinking? _Paul wondered. _Mismagius is a Ghost-type. Swift isn't going to do anything._

"I hope you don't think that will work," Fantina called. "You know your Swift won't touch Mismagius!"

"Do it anyway, Quilava! Use Swift!"

Quilava obliged, and massive stars shot at Mismagius. The attack went straight through the Ghost's body, and Fantina laughed. "I told you, no?"

"More, Quilava!"

The Fire-type increased the intensity of the attack, to the point where Paul couldn't even see Mismagius. _Brilliant, _he thought.

"Perfect!" The woman yelled. "Now, Quilava, use Flame Wheel!"

Quilava shot out flames before curling into a ball and shooting straight for Mismagius. Fantina had understood her opponent's strategy too late, and couldn't tell her Pokémon to avoid the attack it never saw coming. Quilava's Flame Wheel smashed into the Mismagius, who fell to the ground. The two attacks were undoubtedly powerful, but Mismagius was still up.

"Mismagius, it is time to use Payback!" Fantina commanded. Mismagius gathered purple light from nowhere and shot it at Quilava.

"Try to get out of the -!" the other woman yelled, but too late. "Are you alright, Quilava?"

Payback had done twice as much damage as usual, because Mismagius had just suffered from Quilava's Flame Wheel. Quilava struggled to his feet and nodded once, reassuring his trainer with a, "Quil!"

"Good – now, use Eruption!"

Quilava launched the powerful attack, and it was a direct hit to Mismagius. The Ghost Pokémon collapsed.

"Mismagius is unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "The match goes to Dawn and her Quilava!"

Paul applauded with the rest of the spectators. He was impressed by the woman's strategy – the referee said her name was Dawn? – it wasn't something he would have considered as quickly as she had. He wanted to speak with her about it. _At least Reggie will be pleased I'm making voluntary human contact, _Paul thought darkly.

Dawn shook hands with Fantina, and she and her Quilava left the stage to deafening applause. Fantina then stepped to the microphone and began to make a speech and offer to take questions. Paul pushed himself off of the pillar and quickly made his way backstage.

He meandered through the halls backstage, trying to find the Coordinator. He found her in a locker-type room, pulling a brush through her long blue hair. Paul didn't really want to startle a woman he didn't even know, so he knocked on the door before he went all the way into the room. She turned around, and her blue eyes grew huge.

"Paul?" she asked incredulously, standing and facing him. Paul cocked his head slightly. Did he know her? She obviously knew him, and not in a hey-you're-that-famous-guy kind of way.

"Do... I know you?" Paul asked. The woman crossed her arms and sighed huffily.

"Ten freakin' years, and you still don't know who I am?" she grumbled. "Least now I know you're the same guy. Dawn. I used to travel with your rival, Ash? I have a Piplup, and you forgot my name all the time?"

Recognition slowly dawned on Paul. "You're _that_ girl?"

Dawn nodded, uncrossing her arms. "Why're you here?"

Paul folded his arms defensively. "It's a public event in a big city. With a Gym."

"I don't mean here in Hearthome, or even here at the exhibition," Dawn rolled her eyes. "I mean, why are you here, backstage of said exhibition in the locker room?"

"Got lost," Paul lied, shrugging. Dawn made a face at him, clearly showing that she didn't believe him.

"You knocked on the door," Dawn reminded him. Paul just shrugged again.

"I just wanted to know if you knew how to get out of here," Paul said, adding for good measure, "presumptuous woman."

Dawn's mouth fell open. She narrowed her eyes at him, and replied coldly, "Well, I do. You turn around, go back up that long hall, through the giant auditorium, all the way up the stairs, and you go through the big giant doors that say 'exit' over them."

She slammed a locker door shut and disappeared behind a row of lockers. Paul smirked. _She's still so easy to upset,_ Paul noted, retreating back the way he'd come.

- / - / -

_He's still the same arrogant, insufferable jerk he was when I was ten years old, _Dawn thought angrily, yanking on her regular clothes (a black tennis skirt and a hot pink sleeveless shirt). _I don't even know __why I thought he might have grown up just a teensy bit in ten years._

_I don't know why it bothers you, _another voice in the back of her mind whispered.

_It doesn't bother me, _Dawn informed the voice, lacing up her pink-and-black plaid shoes. _It's just obnoxious that he still doesn't treat me with respect. I am an internationally known Contest Coordinator. I've won the Sinnoh Grand Festival three times. Even if he doesn't like me, he should be respectful._

Dawn folded her contest dress neatly and pushed it into her bag. She left the locker room and left the Hearthome Contest Hall by a door directly opposite her, which she had conveniently forgotten about until that very moment. _Poor little Paul, having to walk all that way. Oh, well. _Dawn thought, shrugging.

She walked into the bright July sunshine, cursing herself for leaving her sunglasses at her apartment. She only stayed there when there was a Contest in or near Hearthome; she traveled too much to have a permanent residence. She spent a lot of her time in hotels across various regions.

"What should we do?" she asked her Pokéballs, shading her eyes against the sun. "Lunch? Okay, sounds good to me, too, guys."

"You keep talking to yourself, and people will think you're crazy," a voice told her. Dawn spun around to see Paul leaning against a tree nearby.

"When did you become such a creeper?" Dawn asked him, crossing her arms.

"I was on the phone," Paul defended. Dawn raised her eyebrows and spread her hands, silently asking 'So what?' "And I heard you talking to yourself like an insane person, so I decided to tell you that you're not hiding the crazy too well."

Dawn rolled her eyes and started to walk away.

"Hey, wait up," Paul called after her. She didn't stop or slow down, but Paul caught up to her in a second anyway. "I... kind of have a favor to ask."

Dawn glanced at him. "Seriously?"

"Trust me, I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to," Paul assured her. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest and he looked very uncomfortable.

"I believe you," Dawn said, smirking at him.

"Look, I have to go to this... dinner thing tonight," Paul said, the discomfort in his voice mounting every second. Dawn waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"That's great for you?" Dawn said. "Go. Eat food."

"I have to bring someone," Paul continued finally. Dawn snorted.

"And you immediately thought of me, seeing as we're so close," Dawn said sarcastically.

_When did she get like this? _Paul wondered. The girl he remembered wouldn't have talked to him like this. Granted, he'd never known her well, but. . . .

"No. But I have to take someone, and you're the safest option I can think of," Paul said bluntly. "I don't want to take you, but it's that or a stalker fangirl."

"Excuse me, who said I was going?" Dawn challenged, stopping and facing Paul. He stopped too, and crossed his arms. She did the same.

"I need to take someone," Paul repeated.

"Take your brother."

"A _girl_."

"Take your mom."

Paul glared at her. She didn't have to be so damned stubborn, did she?

"A date," Paul said, his eye twitched ever so slightly at the word. "Like a girlfriend."

"Take someone else," Dawn said indifferently. "It's not my problem that you're incapable of human interaction. Besides, you hate me."

"It's just one night," Paul persisted, not denying that he hated her. He didn't, but that wasn't really the point. "I don't like this any better than you, but if I took someone else it would have to be like a real date. You know the real deal, so I wouldn't be giving you any false impressions."

"What's in it for me?"

"Excuse me?" Paul asked incredulously.

"What do I get if I do this for you?"

"Nothing," Paul spat. Dawn shrugged.

"Then I'm terribly sorry, but I have big plans tonight," Dawn drawled. She walked away slowly, leaving Paul clenching his fists and cursing all women.

"You can call your mom and tell her that you're not pathetic and you have a boyfriend," Paul called after her. _Cheap shot, _he thought.

Dawn whirled around and stomped back over to him.

"You are a disgusting little pig, Paul," Dawn hissed. "I thought you might've grown up a little since I last saw you, but no. Fact of the matter is, I wouldn't help you if you were dying. Go to your stupid dinner party alone, and explain to all the big shots there that you are a miserable excuse for a human being, and you couldn't get a girl to go out with you."

"Fine, that wasn't _strictly_ necessary," Paul grunted. "It _is_ just one night. And it's not like I'm asking you to pull out your eyeballs. I'm taking you to a free dinner. A free, gourmet dinner."

"Did you not hear me _just_ say 'I wouldn't help you if you were dying?' 'Cause I meant it."

"What do you want?" Paul finally asked, rubbing his temples. Women were so dramatic.

"Huh?" Dawn said, confused.

"What do I have to do to get you to do this for me?" Paul grumbled.

"Beg," Dawn decided. Paul's eyes flew open.

"No."

Dawn cocked her head and smiled slightly. Paul shook his head.

"I am not going to beg."

Dawn's eyes narrowed contemplatively. Paul stared back at her, his resolve not edging one bit.

"Alright. I'll go. I just wanted to see what you'd do if I made you beg," Dawn giggled for a moment, but then looked serious. "But let me say right now that I'm not happy about this and you will have to do something for me in return. Anything I ask for."

"You have serious problems," Paul said, frowning. Dawn shrugged, grinning. "But fine. Anything you ask for – within reason, that is – I'll do. Okay, it's a nice party. . . Black tie. So try not to look horrible."

Dawn's eyes narrowed.

"And I'll pick you up from wherever you're staying around seven-thirty," Paul said.

"The big apartment building right there," Dawn said, pointing it out. It was across Amity Square. "Apartment twenty."

Paul was still looking at the apartment building when he said, "There's going to be important people that I kind of work with there, too, so don't embarrass me."

When Dawn didn't reply, Paul glanced around to find himself standing alone. Dawn had obviously left.

_Well, at least she's going to go._

_- / - / - / -_


	2. Conversations

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, I have not purchased Pokémon in past few days. Therefore, I still own nothing.

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- / - / - / -

Dawn got back to her luxurious apartment only five or six minutes after she left Paul. _Why am I helping him? _Dawn asked herself. _He hasn't changed at all. What are you getting yourself into?_

She dropped her bag near the door and flopped down on her couch, sighing. She pulled out her pokégear and began flipping through her contacts, trying to find the name she was looking for. She pressed 'send' and held the device up to her ear and waited for her best friend to pick up.

"Hello?" a voice answered, obviously eating something.

"Hey, May, it's Dawn."

"Dawn!" May swallowed and greeted her friend. "Saw the exhibition on TV. You were awesome!"

"Thanks," Dawn grinned. May always knew how to make her feel better.

"Really, though, that swift-flame wheel combination was gorgeous! I never would have thought to use swift on a ghost-type like that."

"We've been working hard on it," Dawn said, smiling. She rolled onto her side as she spoke and kicked off her shoes.

"What's up?" May asked.

"Hmm?" Dawn asked. "Why, do I seem like something's wrong?"

"You do now," May pointed out. "So, yeah. Spill."

Dawn sighed heavily and rolled onto her back. "I just. . . ran into someone I knew today. After the contest."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Dawn hummed.

"You gonna tell me who, or do I have to guess?" May questioned, taking another bite of whatever she was eating.

"What are you eating, May?" Dawn asked her friend.

"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich with cheese crackers in the middle," May answered. "But don't change the subject."

"That sounds disgusting," Dawn giggled. May sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you, then. It was Paul."

"Paul?" May asked. "Who's he...? Wait. No. That guy who used to be Ash's huge rival in Sinnoh? Dark purple hair, black eyes, kind of douche-y?"

"Right in one, May," Dawn answered.

"Didn't you have a huge crush on him?"

Dawn made a face. "What are you, the memory woman?"

"No," May laughed. "I just remember you telling me about him during the Hoenn Grand Festival the year after we met."

"I told you he was Ash's rival," Dawn corrected, evading the issue. "I never said I liked him... at least that night," she added under her breath.

"Yes, you did," May said. "Don't lie, chick-a-dee, I know you too well."

"Fine, I liked him," Dawn conceded. "A little."

"You liked him a lot, Dawn, but that's not my point right now. So, you ran into him today?" May continued. "Big deal. You haven't seen him in ten years or something like that. Hasn't he changed?"

"Not at all," Dawn said grumpily. "And worse, somehow I got roped into going to dinner with him."

"Least he's charming enough to get you to go to dinner," May offered uncertainly.

"No," Dawn replied firmly. "He kind of blackmailed me. Unintentionally, I think. But he said if I went to dinner with him, he'd meet my mom and pretend to be my boyfriend."

_Well, it didn't go exactly like that, but that's what's going to happen, _Dawn thought.

"Oh, honey," May sighed. "Can't you just tell your mom that you and fake mystery boyfriend broke up? It'd be so much easier than making it up."

"I know, I know," Dawn groaned. "But she was so sad when me and Kevin broke up. . . I hate making her look like that when it's so easy to lie."

"Well, what Kevin did was totally unforgivable," May reminded her. "It's not like you'd stay with a dirtbag like that. Besides, you two broke up two years ago."

"Still."

"Well, Dawn, I remember how much you liked Paul back then," May said, returning to the important topic. "Regardless of how much you try to deny it. If you do this, go to dinner with him, you're not going to. . . Well, get those feelings again, are you?"

"Of _course_ not, May," Dawn laughed. "No need to worry. I'm a grown-up now. I know what's good for me!"

"Good," May said, not entirely convinced by this. "So, more importantly, what're you going to wear?"

"That's sort of why I called," Dawn said, standing and walking to her bedroom. "It's apparently really fancy. . . Plus, I want to knock Paul's socks off. I'm going to look hot."

"Thought you didn't like him."

"I don't. I'm showing him that I'm too good to be with him by looking amazing," Dawn explained. On the other end, May was frowning.

"Sounds like you're asking for trouble with that. . . . Need me to come over?"

"Aren't you in Hoenn?" Dawn asked, pulling open the door to her closet.

"Um," May said uneasily, "I'm in LaRousse City. That's not too far from Sinnoh."

"Why're you in LaRousse?" Dawn asked.

"Uh... Shopping," May responded.

"You're a horrible liar, May," Dawn said absently, searching through her giant walk-in closet.

"Fine, I am visiting Drew," May said very quickly. Dawn smiled slyly.

"Nah, stay with Drew," Dawn said sweetly. "I don't need a top Coordinator mad at me for stealing away his girlfriend."

"Dawn..."

"Fine, I take it back, but stay in LaRousse anyway. I'll call Drew's house and show you what I'm wearing over video chat. Well, a couple choices, that is. Deal?" Dawn suggested.

"Okay," May said. "Thanks, Dawn."

"No problem. Just make sure you're not having too much fun with Drew when I call. I know there's some stuff you'll be doing that I do _not_ want to see."

"How would you even know?" May replied. "Miss I'm-Saving-Myself-For-Prince-Charming?"

"That is something totally different," Dawn insisted. "Plus, it's a good thing I am. Imagine if I didn't, and I did _it_ with Kevin. And now I'm hanging up. Lots to do. I need to be ready by seven. I'll call you in a couple hours."

"Bye, Dawn."

Dawn snapped her pokégear shut. She had wanted to see May, but she couldn't drag her away from Drew. But she still needed a fashion critic before she called May back. She had the feeling May would be annoyed if Dawn needed to show her a zillion different dresses (and if May wasn't annoyed, Drew certainly would be). She couldn't call Zoey, because Zoey was away at a Contest in Floraroma Town. Misty wouldn't care. Guess that just left her Pokémon. Fortunately, they were great fashion critics. _Taught by the best, _Dawn thought, giggling as she walked to the door to get her Pokéballs. She released them all at once.

"All right, you guys, we're on a time limit," Dawn said as soon as her Piplup, Quilava, Lopunny, Pachirisu, Mamoswine, and Togekiss appeared. "It's two o'clock now, and I need a kick-assass dress for a dinner party by six thirty."

"Pip, Piplup?" Piplup asked. Dawn shook her head.

"No, I can't take you guys... I'm sorry about that," Dawn apologized. "But don't you want to help me look good?"

Her Pokémon nodded, and Dawn smiled. "Let's get to work, then!"

- / - / - / -

It was six forty-five when Dawn was frantically dialing Drew's house number. She was way behind schedule. Fortunately, Drew picked up after just two rings.

"Get me May!" Dawn ordered shrilly. Drew raised his eyebrows before moving out of the way.

May rushed forward. "Okay, you're way behind schedule. Now, go!"

Dawn smiled gratefully at her friend. "I've got it narrowed down to three dresses."

Dawn took three steps back and did a quick twirl. She was wearing a black halter dress. It was backless, and the hem on her right leg stopped at her upper thigh, and on her left leg, it went past her knee. She was wearing three-inch black stilettos with it.

"Too sexy," May dismissed.

"I was afraid of that," Dawn whimpered. She didn't even go back to her room to change; just yanked the dress off over her head. The next dress she pulled on was hot pink, strapless, and went all the way to the floor. The back was laced up, and the bodice of the dress was beaded. Very beaded. Too shiny, too sparkly.

May tilted her head. It wasn't perfect, but Dawn always looked good in pink.

"You always look good in pink," May said honestly. "But I'm not sure if this is what you want. It's _really_ sparkly."

Dawn groaned again and pulled the dress off. The final dress Dawn tried on was also floor-length. It too, was strapless. There was beading just along the top inch of the dress, which caught just enough light to sparkle. It was a strange shade of purple, and it looked totally gorgeous on her.

"That's your dress, Dawn," May sighed. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks, May, you're the best!" Dawn squealed. "I'd hug you if I could. But I need to go do hair and makeup."

"How're you doing your hair?" May questioned.

"Curling it, I think," Dawn answered. "If I have time."

"'Kay," May said. "Have fun, honey. . . But don't. . . You know. . ."

"Don't like him," Dawn called over her shoulder as she went back to her room. "No need to worry, May. Thanks for your help!"

"Call me tomorrow, Dawn! Don't forget!"

"I never forget, May, no need to worry!"

"You always forget!"

May sighed and shut off the videophone. She looked over at Drew, who was lounging on a couch.

"You ditched me for that?" Drew complained. May smiled.

"Best friend crisis wins over boyfriend sometimes," May purred, curling up next to Drew. "What did I miss in the movie?"

"You were actually watching it?" Drew asked, surprised. May giggled and shook her head.

"I was a little distracted," May admitted.

"Need me to distract you some more?" Drew breathed in her ear. May shivered.

"Couldn't hurt," May smiled.

- / - / - / -

The knock of Dawn's door came at seven twenty. She had just finished getting dressed with her makeup perfect and complete. _Stupid Paul, _Dawn thought angrily. _Can't he be late like every other boy on the planet? I didn't get to curl my hair._

Dawn grabbed a handbag that matched her dress and walked to the door of her apartment and opened it. Paul stood on the other side, dressed in a black suit with no tie. He glanced up from his watch.

"Let's go," Paul said, turning and walking back down the hall. Dawn scowled after him. She followed him, walking more slowly because of her heels. "Arceus, could you walk any slower? I'm on a schedule, here."

"You're an ass," Dawn told him. "I don't have to do this for you, you know."

Paul shrugged. They walked in silence to his car. It was sleek, black, and looked very fast. Dawn was impressed. She liked fast cars.

"Nice car," Dawn said appreciatively.

"Hm," Paul grunted. He circled to the driver's side door and got in. Dawn got into the passenger seat, annoyed that Paul hadn't once commented on how she looked. Paul started the engine, and the car purred. Dawn smiled. This _was_ a fast car.

Paul drove the short distance from Dawn's apartment to the freeway, where he shot over to the fast lane and stayed on the gas until he was going 95 miles per hour.

"So," Dawn started. "I know how you can repay me for doing this for you."

Paul said nothing. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Tomorrow, you're going with me to meet my mom," Dawn told him. "And you'll pretend like you've been my boyfriend for a few months. 'Kay?"

"Why would I do that?" Paul grumbled.

"Because I got all dressed up to go with you, a guy I haven't seen for ten years and who I am pretty sure is still a douche Mankey, to a dinner party with people I don't know," Dawn snapped. "And you didn't even tell me I look pretty. So, you'll go with me to meet my mom."

"Why does she think I'm your boyfriend?"

"Well," Dawn said uncomfortably, "I sort of told her I started dating someone a few months ago, but he was always busy, so he didn't have time to go meet her."

"Why did you tell her it was me, if you haven't seen me for ten years?"

"I, er, didn't ever give her a name," Dawn confessed. Paul glanced at her, smirking slightly.

"So, I was right when I said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"Leave it alone, Sparky, or I won't go with you."

"You're already going," Paul pointed out.

"I don't have to go in."

"Fine," Paul said huffily. "I'll go meet your stupid mother tomorrow."

"Thanks," Dawn grinned. "And you'll be civil, and will act like you like me."

"I never agreed to that."

"Well, luckily for you, I agreed on your behalf."

"This is going to be a very long night," Paul muttered. Dawn silently agreed with him.

"Look at it this way," Dawn said brightly. "After tomorrow, we never have to see each other again."

"There's always that little silver lining," Paul agreed. Dawn looked out the window, frowning. _Does he really hate me that much? He doesn't even know me._

They spent the rest of the drive in total silence.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -


	3. Dinner Date

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own Pokémon. Too tired to try to be clever.

- / - / - / - / - 

Paul and Dawn arrived at the resort on Lake Valor a few minutes before eight o'clock. A valet took Paul's car, and Paul and Dawn walked up a flight of steps and continued to the world-famous restaurant.

"Hello, sir," the maitre d' greeted Paul. "Oh, my. I didn't think you would bring a lady friend..."

Paul glared at the man. Dawn smiled radiantly at the maitre d'.

"Just let us in, alright?" Paul said gruffly. The maitre d' stood aside, seeming slightly dazzled by Dawn's smile.

"You didn't need to be so rude to him," Dawn hissed. Paul glanced at her, annoyed.

"Whatever. So, tonight's basically a dinner thing for the Champions of the various regions, and a few select people that are favorites to defeat this year's Champions," Paul explained in a hushed tone. "So –"

"You're a favorite to beat _Cynthia_?" Dawn whispered, impressed. Paul nodded curtly.

"As I was saying... Try not to embarrass me. This is big for my future."

"Then why did you even bring me?" Dawn asked candidly. Paul rolled his eyes.

"I needed to bring someone so that I can prove that I'll be a good Champion," Paul said shortly. Dawn looked confused. "People are apparently more likely to respect a Champion that... Well, is married. Or at least is dating someone. Don't ask me why."

Dawn snorted. Paul glared at her.

"So, that's what I'm supposed to be?" Dawn giggled.

"Will you shut up?" Paul hissed. "People are looking."

"It's good for your image," Dawn said, still giggling. "If you can make me laugh, it shows I'm comfortable around you. Idiot. Don't you know anything about being a human?"

Paul shrugged. "If you help me tonight, I'll help you out with your mom. Try to make her buy it and crap."

"Deal," Dawn smiled. "So, follow my lead, and I can make them think we're actually dating. Just don't freak out and be all... Paul."

Paul exhaled and rolled his eyes. He was going to get a migraine from all the eye-rolling he was bound to do tonight with this girl around. He almost yanked his arm away when he felt Dawn slide her arms through his. _Keep your cool, she's helping you, _Paul reminded himself. They walked arm in arm towards the table that sat Lance, Wallace, Steven, Cynthia, and their dates. Lance was sitting with a pretty young girl with long blonde hair, and was whispering something in her ear, which made her blush. Wallace was deep in conversation with a serious-looking woman with lavender hair, whom Paul recognized as Winona, the Gym Leader of Fortree City in Hoenn. Steven was talking to a younger man with black hair, and Cynthia broke off her conversation with a young blonde man to greet Paul.

"Hello, Paul, it's wonderful to see you here," Cynthia said warmly. She stood and shook his hand. Her eyes slid from Paul to Dawn. "And... Is that Dawn? I didn't know you would be coming. It's been a very long time."

Dawn grinned. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Cynthia."

Cynthia smiled and nodded. "I'm so pleased to see you here. Are you and Paul... ?"

Paul opened his mouth to answer, but Dawn beat him to it.

"Yeah," Dawn answered. She leaned against Paul and laid her head on his shoulder. Paul glanced at her as though she'd lost her mind. Again. "For seven months now."

"Really?" Cynthia sounded surprised. She looked at Paul. "You never mentioned you had a girlfriend, Paul."

"We don't like to make a big deal out of it," Dawn shrugged, her head leaving Paul's shoulder. "I mean, neither of us really need more publicity."

Cynthia laughed. "I supposed that's true. I saw your exhibition this afternoon. Very impressive."

"Thanks!" Dawn said, beaming. "And I'd love to talk to you about it sometime. But, tonight's really about Paul, so it'll have to wait."

Paul was impressed against his will. She'd explained to Cynthia why Paul had never mentioned Dawn plausibly, and had shifted the conversation back to Paul effortlessly.

"Of course," Cynthia intoned, smiling at Paul again. "Well, let me make some quick introductions. . . This is Pearl, with me."

The boy was several years younger than Cynthia, but still older than Paul or Dawn. He nodded once.

"The man with Steven is Ruby," Cynthia continued, pointing out the man with black hair. Ruby's eyes left Steven and he waved at Paul and Dawn, who waved back. (Well, Dawn waved back. Paul nodded.) "That's Winona, over there with Wallace." Winona smiled at them, and Dawn smiled back. "And finally, that's Yellow, with Lance." The blonde girl was so preoccupied with whatever Lance was saying to her she didn't look up. Dawn giggled. "So far, no one else has arrived. Why don't you two sit down here with Pearl and myself?"

They obliged, and Dawn immediately engaged Pearl in a conversation, leaving Paul free to talk with Cynthia.

_Thank Arceus I brought that irritating girl. _Paul thought before spending nearly the entire night speaking with Cynthia.

- / - / - / -

Before long, it was a quarter to midnight. Every guest, save Paul and Dawn, had left. Dawn and Pearl had left the table more than an hour ago at Dawn's suggestion, when it became obvious that their dates weren't going to be paying them any attention. Lance and Yellow had disappeared long ago, and Wallace and Winona were strolling through Lake Valor's Resort. Ruby had left his date to talk excitedly with Dawn about her outfit and about Contests, but had returned to Steven and the two had departed thirty minutes ago.

"How much can two people talk about one battle?" Pearl asked Dawn grumpily. Dawn's eyes flickered back to Paul and Cynthia, who were still discussing their most recent battle.

"Well, Paul really wants to beat Cynthia this year," Dawn yawned. "I think he's doing whatever he can to get an edge."

"I hope he does beat her," Pearl said, surprising Dawn. "It's hard... I never really get to see Cynthia... Once she's not Champion, I'll have more time with her. Which sounds bad, and I know I should be supportive, but I have for a long time."

"I get it," Dawn said. She glanced back at Paul and Cynthia, before adding in an undertone, "Want me to get him and go?"

"That would be great," Pearl said gratefully. Dawn smiled and went back to the table.

"Honey?" Dawn asked, placing her hand on Paul's shoulder. He glared up at her. "You almost ready to go? It's almost midnight."

"So?" Paul asked.

"We should get going too, Cynthia," Pearl murmured, pulling Cynthia up. She leaned against him and took his hand.

"I enjoyed our chat, Paul," Cynthia said, holding out her free hand to shake his. Paul stood and shook her hand.

"Thank you for having me," Paul said. Dawn's nails bit into his shoulder, and he quickly corrected himself. "Us, here for dinner."

"Our pleasure," Pearl said. "It was nice talking to you, Dawn. I hope to stay in touch with you."

"So do I, Pearl," Dawn smiled. "I'm sure I'll see you at Paul and Cynthia's next battle, at least. It was great to see you again, too, Cynthia."

"The two of you make a lovely couple," Cynthia commented. Pearl nodded. "I'm glad you've found someone like her, Paul."

Paul nodded. Dawn watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"Until we meet again," Cynthia said, before she allowed Pearl to lead her out of the restaurant.

"Why'd you do that?" Paul snapped. Dawn glared at him.

"Are you kidding me? You've been talking nonstop about your last battles with her for almost four hours. I kept Pearl – and anyone else who might've interfered with your conversation – totally occupied the entire evening. If you've got anything to say to me, it better be 'thank you,'" Dawn retorted.

"Fine, whatever," Paul said. "Let's go. I need to get you back to your place before I can go home to Veilstone."

Dawn accepted that that was the best she was going to get out of him, and followed him out of the restaurant. On the entire ride home, she chattered about the people she'd talked to that night, including another trainer supposedly a favorite to defeat Cynthia.

"He was hard to distract," Dawn mused. "He really wanted to talk to Cynthia, too... Have you ever heard of him? His name's Harrison... Harrison Something."

"Yeah, I've heard of him," Paul said shortly. "He's a good trainer. Beat your little friend in the Silver Conference nine years ago."

"He beat Ash?" Dawn gasped. "He must be good, then."

"Not really," Paul said snidely. "Ash isn't a very good trainer."

"Yes he is!" Dawn snapped.

"Whatever."

"You know, I think that if you and Ash –"

"Do you ever stop talking?" Paul questioned. Dawn looked offended.

"No," Dawn answered. "So, get used to it."

"Why should I?"

"Because you still need to go meet my mother tomorrow," Dawn reminded him. Paul groaned. "After that, I don't care what you do."

"We're back at your place," Paul said suddenly, screeching his car to a stop. Dawn slammed into her seatbelt painfully.

"Jerk," Dawn grumbled. "Look, pick me up around ten. We'll drive to Twinleaf, talk to my mom for a few hours, and come back. Then, we'll be done."

"What's your number?" Paul asked, pulling a high-tech pokégear out of his pocket.

"Why do you want to know?" Dawn asked.

"So I can call you and tell you when I'm coming over tomorrow," Paul rolled his eyes. Dawn told him her number. He entered into his phone, and then dropped his pokégear on the dashboard.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Dawn said.

"Just get out of the car," Paul told her. "I still need to drive back to Veilstone."

"Ugh, you're such a pain in the ass," Dawn exploded, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind her. The car screeched away. Dawn rolled her eyes and stomped up to her apartment.

She smiled at he Pokémon, snoozing in various places around her apartment that they had claimed as 'theirs.' Pachirisu was curled up in the empty fruit bowl on the counter. Togekiss slept on a towel on the top of the refrigerator. Lopunny was stretched out on the couch next to Quilava. Mamoswine slept on the floor, and Piplup was curled up beside the giant Pokémon.

Dawn tiptoed to her bedroom, not wanting to wake up any of her Pokémon. She entered her closet and hung up her dress. She kicked off her heels and pulled on a pair of dark blue shorts and a light blue shirt. She crawled into her bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

- / - / - / -

Paul arrived at his brother's house in Veilstone a little before one in the morning. He wasn't really tired, but he had nothing better to do right now. With any luck, Reggie would be asleep, and Paul could sneak to his room without being noticed. He unlocked the front door, but luck was not with him tonight. Reggie was in the kitchen, making poffins.

"Hey, little brother," Reggie called. Paul groaned and walked to the kitchen. "How was your fancy party with all the Champions?"

"It was fine," Paul said dully. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I got to talk to Cynthia all night. . . I think I got some good new strategies to try."

"All night?" Reggie asked. "No one else wanted to talk to her?"

"They did," Paul said smugly. "But Dawn distracted them, so Cynthia only talked to me."

"Wait," Reggie said, leaning against the counter and facing Paul. Paul squeezed his eyes shut. _Crap, I mentioned that stupid girl._ "Dawn? That sounds like a girl."

"She is, moron," Paul said, trying to play it cool.

"Was she your date?"

"Uh...," Paul mumbled. "Yes?"

"All right, man!" Reggie congratulated. Then he paused, a thought occurring to him. "Wait. . . Dawn? The Coordinator? That girl that used to travel with Ash and Brock?"

Paul nodded at the table, cursing himself for letting it slip. Reggie was never going to let this go.

"Wow, little brother," Reggie let out a low whistle. "She's pretty. You sure are lucky. She's got practically half the guys in Sinnoh on her tail."

_Really? _ Paul was interested by this information. And, too be honest, a little irritated by it. _Then why is she lying to her mom? Why not just date some lovesick idiot?_

"Hmm," Paul hummed. Reggie shook his head.

"You don't know a good thing when you have it, Paul," Reggie sighed. "Dawn could be the best thing that ever happens to you."

_Or not. She was only helping me tonight so that she can tell her mom she's got a boyfriend. It's only til tomorrow. Thank Arceus. Weird, though, that Reggie and Cynthia think the same thing about her..._

_- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -_


	4. Repaying the Debt

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon. My life is sad.

- / - / - / - 

Dawn awoke the next morning to the buzz of her pokégear. She groaned and rolled to the edge of her bed, and reached to the ground for her purse, where her pokégear still was. She pulled it out of her purse and answered it.

"Hello?" Dawn said groggily.

"I don't really have all day," a voice responded impatiently. "I'll be at your door in fifteen minutes. You'd better be ready to go."

"Who is this?" Dawn asked sleepily, sitting up and pushing her sheets off her body.

"You've got to be kidding me," Paul snapped. "It's Paul. I'm not going to wait for you. Fourteen minutes, now."

He hung up. Dawn opened her eyes completely.

_Shit! It'll take me more than fourteen minutes to get ready!_ Dawn panicked. She jumped out of bed, stripped, and ran for her shower. She scrubbed last night's makeup off of her face, washed and conditioned her hair, and got out of the shower in seven minutes. _I don't think I've ever showered that quickly, _Dawn thought, pleased with herself.

Dawn dried herself with a towel and went to her closet. She pulled a short light pink sundress out of her closet, a pair of black wedge sandals, and black leggings that reached her knees. She'd thought about wearing this in the shower, so it didn't take her any time to decide what to wear. She pulled on the clothes and hurried back to the bathroom. She only had four minutes to dry her hair, brush her teeth, and put on her makeup. She brushed her teeth and put on some mascara, before partially drying her hair with a blow-dryer. She heard a knock on her door, and she nearly broke her ankle sprinting to the door.

She flung the door open to see Paul standing opposite her, wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt.

"It's going to be hot in Twinleaf," Dawn told him. Paul shrugged. "Fine, just hold on one second, 'kay?"

Paul sighed in exasperation. Dawn recalled all of her Pokémon and got her purse from her bedroom. Then she rejoined Paul and locked her apartment behind her.

"You just woke up when I called, didn't you?" Paul accused her as they walked to his car.

"So?" Dawn challenged. "I got ready, didn't I?"

"Hmm," Paul hummed as an answer. They got into his sleek black car and moments later, were speeding down the highway heading for Twinleaf Town.

Dawn pulled her pokégear out of her pocket. She hadn't charged it last night... Thank Arceus for its long battery life. She pressed a few buttons and held the device up to her ear.

"Hello?" the woman Dawn had called answered.

"Mom? Hi!"

"Dawn?" Johanna wondered. "Hi, honey! What's got you up so early?"

"Well, I decided to come down and surprise you today!" Dawn said cheerfully. Paul glared at her, and Dawn saw him mouth the words '_You didn't even tell her we are coming?,_' which Dawn ignored.

"Really?" Johanna said happily. "I'm so excited, hon! What's the occasion?"

"What, I can't just drop by to see my mom?" Dawn asked, pretending to be offended.

"There's always a reason, sweetie," Johanna laughed. "When will you be here?"

"If traffic's good to us, an hour," Dawn guessed. "See ya then, Mom!"

Dawn ended the call.

"You didn't tell her we were coming," Paul said flatly.

"I just did," Dawn pointed out. Paul rolled his eyes.

"No, you told her _you_ were going to visit," Paul corrected her. "You didn't say anything about me."

"Trust me," Dawn laughed, "she'll like the surprise better if she doesn't know you're coming, too."

"That seems backwards," Paul muttered, focusing on the road again.

"That's Mom," Dawn said for answer.

"I'll tell you when I need directions," Paul said, reaching for the radio. He turned it on, and a band Dawn didn't know started blasting through the car speakers. Dawn sighed and split her hair into pigtails and braided them. _I just need to get through today, then he'll be gone, _Dawn thought. The thought didn't really cheer her up.

- / - / - / -

When they arrived at Dawn's mother's house, it was eleven twenty. Traffic hadn't been too bad, and it took just over an hour to get to Twinleaf.

"Okay," Dawn said, facing Paul before they got out of the car. "My mom's not stupid, she knows what a fake relationship looks like."

"How?"

"Long story," Dawn said, waving his question away with her hand. "So, again, _follow my lead._ Your acting sucks. Give up on that career path now. She's not just going to let me talk, 'cause that'll look suspicious. Just... Don't screw this up. Please."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Okay," Dawn said, appeased. "Let's go, _honey_."

"That stops right now," Paul demanded. "I will not respond to pet names of any kind."

Dawn laughed. "Let's just go."

The 'couple' walked up the carefully made path to Dawn's childhood home. Dawn knocked on the door, and seconds later, Johanna flung the door open and engulfed her daughter in a hug.

"I've missed you, honey!" Johanna cried. "And I didn't get to tell you on the phone, your exhibition with Fantina was gorgeous!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Dawn squealed. Paul took a few steps back. This was very loud and _very_ girly. Johanna and Dawn broke apart, still talking very quickly. Paul didn't understand half of what they said.

"Anyways, Mom, you were right."

"I always am," Johanna smiled.

"I had an extra reason for coming out here today."

"Oh?" Johanna's eyes left Dawn's face and found Paul. "_Oh._"

"Yeah," Dawn said, taking a step towards Paul and pulling him by his hand closer to them. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Paul."

"Pleasure," Johanna said, extending her hand.

Paul nodded and shook her hand.

"My boyfriend," Dawn finished.

"Honey, congratulations!" Johanna said, winking at her daughter. "He's quite handsome."

"Mom!" Dawn complained.

"Well, he is," Johanna declared. She turned back to Paul. "And, from what I've heard, a favorite to defeat Cynthia?"

Paul nodded again.

"Well, won't the two of you come in?" Johanna said, standing back to let them in. Dawn, still holding tight to Paul's hand, led him into the house. Johanna watched the two of them carefully for the rest of the day, looking for signs that Paul might hurt her daughter. Dawn didn't need more emotional train wrecks, in Johanna's opinion.

"How long have you two been seeing each other, now?" Johanna asked while they drank iced tea (water for Paul) in the back garden.

"Seven months," Paul answered.

Dawn smiled at him gratefully.

Paul inclined his head.

"Hmm," Johanna stated. "So, you two are still just getting started. Or is it more serious than that?"

Dawn and Paul exchanged a look, before Dawn said, "Mom, don't I only bring home the serious ones?"

Johanna laughed at that. "Hon, I have to ask, it's my job. Besides, the last guy you –"

"Mom, can we not talk about that?" Dawn said tersely. Paul glanced at her. "That was a long time ago."

"Yes, but sweetie –"

"I asked nicely, Mom," Dawn said stiffly. "I don't want to talk about that."

"Johanna," Paul interrupted, and two pairs of blue eyes flicked to him, "why did you decide to give up Contests?

Dawn cocked her head. Apparently, Paul was a better actor than she'd thought.

Johanna laughed, and launched into the story of her decision to stop competing in Contests. Dawn's pokégear vibrated, and she covertly read the message she'd just received from May.

_Why the hell haven't you called me? I want to know how last night went!_

Dawn smiled and replied quickly.

_I'm not at home, May. I'll call you later._

Less than a minute later, her phone buzzed again.

_Where are you?_

Dawn rolled her eyes, but knew that May wouldn't leave her alone until she answered.

_I'm at my mom's with Paul._

She tried to focus on her mother's story, but she'd heard it so many times, it was hardly gripping. Instead, she found herself watching Paul. He appeared to be really interested in her mother's story...

_YOU'RE WITH PAUL? Go somewhere and call me. Right now. Or I will call you._

Dawn sighed. Paul's gaze flickered to her. She smiled apologetically.

"Will you excuse me?" Dawn said. She stood and left the porch. Paul's eyes followed her until she disappeared into the house.

"Paul," Johanna said quietly once Dawn was gone. Paul turned to look at her. She looked serious. "I want you to tell me if you're serious about my daughter. Because if you're not, I have to ask you to leave her now, before she gets too. . . attached. She's been through enough already. You seem like a very nice boy, but. . . I need to ask."

Paul had been expecting this.

"Well, ma'am," Paul began slowly, trying to decide how to answer this without blowing their secret or directly lying. "Dawn is different from anyone I've even known. She does things her own way. I'm still getting used to that. But I don't _plan_ to be gone any time soon."

Johanna studied his face. He seemed honest. And she could almost always tell when someone was lying when she looked at them like this.

"Good," Johanna said, and she smiled. She'd let it go. For now... "Now, more about you... Champion of Sinnoh, hmm?"

- / - / - / -

Dawn went up to her old room and called May. The phone rang once before May picked up.

"You're with Paul?" May shrieked. Dawn blinked and held the phone away from her ear.

"Yeah. I told you yesterday that I would be," Dawn replied. She walked to the window, where she could see her mother and her fake boyfriend talking in the garden.

"You did not," May accused. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Must have slipped my mind," Dawn said dryly. "Paul and I are at my mom's house. He's pretending to be my boyfriend for a day so Mom will quit pestering me about Kevin. Then, he's taking me back to Hearthome, and he'll be out of my life."

"Well, I told Misty about you going out with Paul last night," May began, but Dawn cut her off.

"You didn't say it was fake, right?" Dawn demanded. It was suddenly very important that only May (and probably Drew at this point) know it was a façade.

"No. I just said 'Dawn is going to dinner with Paul,'" May said. "And she thinks it's not a good idea."

"Well, just don't tell anyone it's fake," Dawn insisted. "I'm guessing you already told Drew, so just keep it quiet from now on. Okay?"

"I won't tell, sweetie, but don't you think faking this will end badly?" May asked, sounding concerned.

"We're not," Dawn said. "I mean, I don't think I'll see him again after tonight."

"I hope so...," May said. "He messed you up. You don't need that again."

"Kevin messed me up, not Paul," Dawn said, picking at her nails.

"I'm not so sure, Dawn," May said seriously. "You had a huge crush on Paul. I don't think you've been totally alright since you claimed you got over him."

"That makes no sense. I knew Paul when I was ten. I was little, and I need to go, May," Dawn said, irritated. "I don't need your puzzles right now. I'll call you later."

"'Bye," May said sadly. Dawn hung up and went back downstairs and joined Johanna and Paul, and tried to act normally for the rest of the day. But by the strange looks Paul kept shooting her, she failed.

_May's insane, _Dawn thought angrily. _Why would Paul have messed me up? He was just a jerk I knew when I was ten. Kevin... Well, Kevin's the one that messed me up. Not Paul._

_- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - _


	5. Car Ride

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon. I also don't own Three Days Grace. So today I am doubly sad.

"Anyway, thanks for having us over, Mama," Dawn said, embracing Johanna tightly.

Dawn, Johanna, and Paul stood beside Paul's car. It was a little after seven P.M., and Paul had insisted that they leave before it got dark.

"Honey, anytime!" Johanna said, hugging her daughter back. "That goes for you too, Paul."

"Thank you," Paul said, inclining his head slightly.

"Drive safe, you two," Johanna called as she walked back to her front door. Dawn waved as she buckled her seatbelt. Paul started the ignition and sped away.

"Thanks," Dawn said sincerely. "I really appreciate it."

"Why were you so weird after you went inside?" Paul asked, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"No reason," Dawn lied airily. Paul's dark eyes cut to her.

"Don't lie."

Dawn sighed exasperatedly. "I called my friend. She brought up something that was a, irrelevant, and b, totally incorrect. And plus, I don't like to talk about that, so I was upset. Satisfied?"

"No," Paul replied, flicking his blinker on and speeding into the fast lane. "What was it?"

"None of your business."

"Fine," Paul shrugged. He leaned forward and turned on the stereo, which immediately started blasting a song Dawn vaguely recognized. Dawn slumped back into her seat and crossed her arms.

_Every time we lie awake,_

_After every hit we take,_

_Every feeling that I get_

_But I still don't miss you yet_

"Stupid emo music," Dawn muttered under her breath. She raised her hands to her hair and methodically unwound her braids. When her braids were unraveled, her hair was wavy, so she combed it with her fingers.

_I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you?_

"Such happy music you listen to," Dawn snapped sarcastically.

"You don't have to listen to it," Paul pointed out. "It's my car, and I'll listen to whatever I like when I'm driving."

"Who is this, anyways?" Dawn asked.

"Thought you didn't like it," Paul said. Dawn glared at him.

"You are so very irritating," Dawn murmured. There had been a lull in the music, so Dawn was fairly sure that Paul had heard what she'd said.

"Maybe," Paul conceded, stepping on the gas until they were doing 90. "But it's not like I'd choose you to hang out with if I could help it."

"Then why did you ask me to help you last night?" Dawn snarled. "You could've taken anyone."

"I already told you," Paul snapped back. "I didn't have to pretend to like you."

"You don't even know me!"

"You don't know me either," Paul said with finality.

"Arceus! You know why people like Champions that have girlfriends or boyfriends?" Dawn questioned. "Do ya? 'Cause they don't seem like cold, evil, jackasses if someone keeps them around!"

Paul rolled his eyes.

_I_

_Hate_

_You_

_Hate_

_I_

_Hate_

_You love me_

"I'm serious, Paul," Dawn snapped. "You're a good trainer – no one can deny that, and that'll probably get you to the top. But all anyone _really_ knows about you is that you're a mean guy that treats his Pokémon like shit. And that doesn't seem so Champion-y, now does it? Maybe if you were nicer, you wouldn't have to take a girl you allegedly hate out to dinner!"

_I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you?_

"Thanks for the psychoanalysis," Paul said coolly. Dawn exhaled sharply.

"Not one word of that got through to you, did it?"

"We'll be at your house in a half-hour at this speed," Paul said in answer. "Why don't we not talk until then?"

"Fine by me," Dawn spat. "I can't wait for you to get the hell out of my life."

"That makes two of us."

"Ugh," Dawn sighed disgustedly.

They didn't speak again for the rest of the car ride.

- / - / - / -

Paul skidded to a halt outside Dawn's apartment complex. Dawn unbuckled her seatbelt and looked at him.

"Thank you," Dawn said sincerely. "For today."

"Hmm," Paul hummed. Dawn, with great effort, managed to not roll her eyes at him.

"I guess I won't see you again," Dawn continued. "So... Good luck. With battling Cynthia. And the rest of your life, I guess."

"You too," Paul surprised her by answering. She smiled.

"'Bye, Paul," Dawn said, getting out of the car and shutting the door. She had walked to the shadows of her building before she heard him drive away.

_Guess life's going back to normal now, _Dawn thought wearily as she climbed the steps to her apartment.

- / - / - / -

Paul sped all the way from Dawn's apartment in Hearthome to his brother's house in Veilstone. If Reggie was awake tonight, Paul was going joyriding until Reggie went to sleep. He really didn't feel like talking about his day.

Fortunately, all the lights were out when Paul pulled up to his brother's house. Paul locked his car and walked to the front door.

He wended his way expertly through Reggie's dark house to his temporary bedroom. _I've really got to get my own place, _Paul thought as he flopped down on the bed. _No better time than now... _

Paul didn't even change before he drifted off to sleep, thinking about all that Dawn had said on the ride back, the song from earlier circling his subconscious.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: Again, I don't own Three Days Grace. I just love them forever and ever amen. Oh and the song is _I Hate Everything About You_, by Three Days Grace. They are awesome I love them. And I know the chapters are getting a little shorter, but that will change soon, I promise.


	6. Last Favor

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing... Wait, scratch that. I am now a proud owner of a ticket to see the midnight release of Harry Potter Seven Part 2. Not as good as being Nintendo or Satoshi Tajiri, but that's all I can get.

- / - / - / -

It had been more than a week since Dawn and Paul had returned from Twinleaf Town. They hadn't seen one another since.

"Please, May, I'm fine," Dawn had insisted every time May had called her. "It's not a big deal, really. We went out twice. And those didn't really even count. It was just a mutual... assistance kind of thing. No need to worry, there were no feelings involved."

"Dawn!" May had countered, "You've seen the magazine covers, haven't you? The word is out that you two are together!"

"So?"

"Dawn, please work with me here," May sighed. "What are you going to do when people start thinking you two aren't really together?"

"Then they'll think we're fighting and we've broken up," Dawn said simply. "It's not so complex. I repeat, May: It is not a big deal. Stop trying to make it one!"

May wasn't the only one that had called Dawn, wanting to know about her and Paul's (to use the words from the article in _Trainer Gossip Weekly_) 'budding romance.'

"So," Zoey had began the conversation with not so much as a greeting. "You and _Paul?_ Since when?"

"Um, hi, Zoey," Dawn laughed. "How was the Contest?"

"Don't change the subject, Dawn," Zoey returned immediately. "You and Paul. I want to know."

"Look, Zo, it's not such a big deal!" Dawn had insisted. "Yeah, me and Paul. It's not like we're getting married."

"Still. Why didn't you tell me?" Zoey asked, and Dawn could tell her feelings were hurt.

"I'm sorry," Dawn apologized. "I wish I told you."

"We're talking when I get to Hearthome, missy."

"Okay, Zoey, deal."

Her phone started ringing again mere minutes after she and Zoey had hung up.

"Hello?"

"Dawn, you'd better have a _damn_ good excuse for not telling me!" a loud voice yelled on the other end. Dawn squeezed her eyes shut. _Crap._

"Hey, Ash..."

"Oh, no, don't 'hey, Ash' _me_," Ash commanded. "You. Paul. Disgusting. Why?"

"Can't you speak in sentences?" someone had yelled on Ash's end of the phone. "Sorry, Dawn, he still acts like an immature caveman sometimes!"

"Tell Misty hi for me," Dawn said. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Ash! But what did you expect? I knew you'd do this when you found out."

"Damn straight," Ash grumbled. "He's a jerk!"

"You haven't seen him for, like, ten years," Dawn cried out. _Okay, he's still a jerk, but Ash doesn't know that._

"That is not the point!" Ash exclaimed. "The _point_ is that he is _Paul_."

"You know, I hadn't realized that," Dawn said sarcastically. "Thanks for pointing that out, Ash! What would I do without you?"

"You know what I mean."

Dawn had also received calls from Kenny, Brock, and Barry. She wasn't very close to Barry, so that was an awkward conversation. Fortunately, though, he was Barry, so the conversation was short.

"Hello?"

"Dawn, hey, it's Barry," Barry said quickly. "I can't believe you're dating Paul, I mean, he's just the greatest trainer ever, you're so lucky!"

"Uh... Thanks?" Dawn said uncertainly. "How'd you get my number?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you'd better learn a lot from Paul, he's just so awesome! I gotta go, 'bye!"

Dawn closed her phone slowly. "Well... That was weird."

Fortunately, all of the phone calls had happened in the two days after Dawn had gotten back from Twinleaf. She wondered idly if Paul was getting calls from people, too. Probably not though, as, apart from Barry, most of the people that had called her were checking on her sanity. They thought Dawn had lost her mind to date someone like Paul.

If Dawn was being completely honest with herself, she didn't know why she wasn't telling her friends that she and Paul weren't really dating. But she hadn't come close to telling any of her friends – apart from May, that it – that their 'relationship' was completely nonexistent. She didn't owe him anything, and helping him had only made her life more difficult.

But now, Dawn's life was relatively back to normal. May remained the most concerned about her, so she put off her return to Hoenn and visited Dawn in Hearthome City.

"May!" Dawn squealed, hugging and nearly suffocating her friend. "Why're you in Sinnoh?"

"To see my girl," May teased. "I was close enough, so I figured I'd see if you were actually okay."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Please, May. It's fine. I haven't seen or heard from him in like, nine days. And look? I'm fine."

She twirled around in a circle to prove her point. May raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Alright, then, you're fine," May conceded. "I can visit anyways, can't I?"

"Of course," Dawn grinned, stepping aside and letting May into her apartment. ""What do you want to do?"

"Just chill. I need to leave early tomorrow anyways," May said. "There's a Contest back home that I'm in. Mom and Dad still haven't seen my Contests firsthand, so I can't miss it."

"Sounds to me," Dawn said mysteriously, walking to her kitchen, "like we'll be making a lot of desserts before you leave, then."

May's eyes lit up. "You sure know me well, Dawn."

"Well, duh," Dawn laughed. "Now get your butt in here and help me."

- / - / - / -

"Arceus! How many batches of cookies _is_ that?" Dawn exclaimed a few hours later. May looked around Dawn's kitchen: it had been spotless when she'd arrived; now it looked like a hurricane had hit it.

"Twelve?" May guessed. Dawn giggled.

"You're a terrible influence on me," Dawn sighed. "I never bake cookies when you're not around... How 'bout we take a break and make some poffins?"

"You call that a break?" May shot back. Dawn grinned and nodded.

"Okay, then," Dawn said, traipsing to the cabinet where she stored poffin ingredients. "I'll make some poffins for Quilava... Where are my Figy berries?"

"Your phone's ringing, nutcase," May called. She'd left the kitchen and flopped down on Dawn's couch in the living room. Dawn glanced around and, sure enough, a techno beat was resonating from her phone. _Weird. That's not my ring tone. _Dawn had her favorite song as her ring tone; unknown numbers had the annoying, pre-set tone. She leaned across the counter and snatched up her cell phone. She didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" Dawn answered, returning to her cabinet in search of the Figy berries.

"I need you to meet me at the Contest Hall," a bored voice responded.

"Um... I think you have the wrong number," Dawn said absently. Her words were met with an exasperated sigh. She recognized that sigh...

"I don't have the wrong number," the voice said. "Will you just be at the Contest Hall in twenty minutes?"

"Who is this?" Dawn asked, but the answering sigh told her enough. "Paul!"

May's head snapped up and her eyes met Dawn's. Dawn shrugged in response to May's glare.

"Yeah. So, will you be at the Contest Hall or not?" Paul asked.

"Why would I be?" Dawn asked in response. She could almost hear Paul rolling his eyes.

"Because I asked you to be there."

"So? I'm busy."

"_Please?"_ Paul added, grinding his teeth.

Dawn didn't respond. She didn't know Paul especially well, but she was pretty sure that 'please' was not a word in his day-to-day vocabulary. Apparently, this was important.

"I guess," Dawn said. "I'll be there."

"Okay. Twenty minutes."

He hung up. Dawn closed her phone and her eyes and awaited the explosion.

"_Dawn, are you crazy?"_

- / - / - / -

_I am not crazy,_ Dawn told herself as she hurried to the Contest Hall fifteen minutes later. _I'm just going to see what he wants. That is it._

She could see the Contest Hall, and her thoughts drifted back to her mini-fight with May.

"Dawn, you cannot go!" May yelled through Dawn's closed bedroom door as Dawn changed into a dress.

"Yes I can, May!"

"Why do you _want_ to?" May yelled.

"Look, May, I can go and meet Paul if I want to!"

"Arceus, Dawn, why do insist on getting mixed up with this guy again?" May sighed. "Why do you think he wants to meet you, anyway?"

"I don't know, May, that's why I'm going," Dawn snapped, exiting her room and heading for the door. May ran to the door and blocked it.

"Please, Dawn," May asked. "I'm just doing this 'cause I care about you. Please. Don't do this to yourself."

"I'm not doing anything," Dawn said, pushing past her friend. "You're making this into a big deal when it's _not_."

Dawn returned to the present and looked around the square in front of the Contest Hall. She scanned the area for Paul and spotted him leaning against a bench, looking in the opposite direction. Dawn marched up to him and folded her arms across her chest.

"What?'

Paul started slightly and turned to face her.

"I'm surprised you came," Paul said, standing up. Dawn looked up at him. She'd just noticed that he was a good head taller than her.

"What?" Dawn repeated. Paul sighed in exasperation.

"You're very difficult. Did you know that?"

"So I've been told," Dawn shrugged. "Again: what?"

Paul sighed again, this time as though steeling himself for something. Dawn raised her eyebrows and waited. Her eyes widened as Paul dropped to the ground and looked up at her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dawn whispered as Paul pulled a box out of his pocket.

"Dawn. . .," Paul began through gritted teeth as he opened the box, revealing a ring. "Will you marry me?"

"No," Dawn hissed. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"Just answer the question," Paul snapped under his breath. "People are looking."

"Answer mine _first_," Dawn insisted.

"Will you please just say you'll marry me?" Paul asked again. "I'll explain later."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Dawn squeaked.

"Answer!"

Dawn looked down at him for a full twenty seconds. Paul's eyes bore into hers, and Dawn was losing her resolve. She found herself nodding. And Paul grabbed her hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger.

"We can go back to my hotel room so we can talk," Paul muttered, standing up.

Dawn threw her arms around Paul's neck, and snarled in his ear, "No. We'll go back to my place. Where I can _yell_."

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -


	7. Explanations

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own Pokémon...

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

Paul followed the fuming girl away from the Contest Hall and towards her apartment at Amity Square. He allowed her to walk several feet ahead of him, and contemplated what would happen when they reached her apartment.

_Yelling and ranting, clearly,_ Paul thought heavily. _Maybe she'll throw things. Well, it can't be helped. I'll let her rant for a few minutes. She probably deserves that much._

He watched her walk ahead of him. Her fists were clenched at her sides. He could hear her snarling under her breath from where he was walking, more than ten feet behind her. _Arceus, it's not like I asked her to swallow poison._

_No, it's like you asked her to marry you._

Dawn stormed up the steps to her apartment on the second floor and flung the door open when she reached it.

_Ugh. Dramatic,_ Paul thought.

"MAY!" Dawn shouted when she took the first step inside. A girl with light brown hair poked her head out of another room, her eyes narrowed, readied for a fight.

"Look, Dawn, I've been thinking –"

"I've been thinking you need to leave now, May," Dawn finished for her calmly. "I have some important things to discuss..."

She raised up her hand, almost a fist with just her ring finger pointing straight up.

"Are you flipping me –" May began furiously

"... With my _fiancée_," Dawn finished, her lips curling around the word. May's mouth snapped shut.

"He... Didn't," May breathed.

"Oh, _yes he did,_" Dawn snarled. "So, I'm sorry to kick you out, but I need to have this conversation. Now."

"Of course," May said hurriedly. She snatched her bag from the couch and rushed to the door, pausing when she saw Paul in the hallway. She sized him up, looking confused. "But... Dawn, I need to ask you something. Really quick?"

"What?"

"... Why did you say yes?"

- / - / - / -

"Get in, Paul, I'm not leaving this door open all day," Dawn snapped after May disappeared down the hall, her question unanswered. Paul took the three necessary steps forward to place himself in the apartment, and Dawn slammed the door with all of her force and turned to look at him.

"_What the hell are you thinking?"_

_Here it comes, _Paul thought wryly.

"This is insanity. You just _asked me to marry you_. Have you lost your mind? Have you lost every little bit of sense that was ever in your tiny little brain, Paul? Do you _want_ to start this psychotic, stupid, _idiotic_, horrible, terrible, _stupid,_ worst idea ever in the history of everything? Do you wanna? Because I will promise you right now that I will not be the partner you want on this ride to hell!"

_Give her the minute, _Paul thought. _You told yourself you'd give her a minute._

"This is RIDICULOUS!" Dawn shrieked. "This is the worst idea I have ever heard in all of my life. I am so mad at you, Paul, how could you _do_ this? Arceus, what is _wrong_ with you?"

She stormed back and forth, from the entrance where Paul stood to the window on the far side of the room, ranting and calling him every name she could possibly think of (there were quite a few, even Paul was impressed by her creative language) for about seven minutes. Paul stood in the doorway, listening to her, waiting for it to stop. He figured he owed her the ranting time; he had just asked her the stupidest question a man can ever ask a woman – and they didn't even _like_ each other.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

She sounded calm, almost.

"No."

"Then explain to me why you purchased a ring, had me meet you, and asked me to be your _wife_."

"Why did you say yes?" Paul shot back.

"Answer my questions _first_."

Paul sighed. "Do you remember, a few days ago, when we went to the Champion's dinner?"

Dawn nodded once, irritated by his slow start.

"I told you that people are more likely to respect a married Champion."

"And that's what this is about?" Dawn asked incredulously. _"Respect? _Since when do you care what people think about you?_" _Paul shook his head.

"No, not entirely. I was talking to Reggie three days ago. He has an old friend that works for the Pokémon League. He told Reggie why every current Champion is married. The League doesn't recognize a Champion that isn't married."

"Why?" Dawn asked curiously, as if this were a normal conversation that would have no significant impact on her future.

Paul shook his head again. "I don't know. Neither does Reggie, really, or his friend. But even if someone beats a Champion, and they aren't married, the League won't recognize the victory. It'll be like it never even happened. It doesn't make sense, and yes, it's ridiculous, but that's how it is."

Dawn stared at him. So, the League was even more corrupt than the rumors said. She spent a moment, idly wondering why people in positions of power made everything so skewed. But then she remembered the point of the talk.

"But why ask me?"

Paul stared at her levelly.

"The same reason I asked you to the dinner. I won't have to lie to you," Paul answered simply.

"One less person to lie to," Dawn said. Paul nodded. "So, you need my help. Again."

"As much as I hate to need the help of anyone," Paul sighed, inclining his head, "especially you, yes. I do."

Dawn looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Why _did_ you say yes?" Paul asked again. "You didn't have to."

"There were people watching. I didn't want to embarrass you," Dawn answered absentmindedly, still deep in thought.

"Is that all?" Paul asked, incredulously.

"Yes," Dawn snapped, returning to the present. "I, unlike you, am not an evil little cockroach. _Trust me_, it's not that I have a secret burning desire to marry _you._"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Are you going to help me? Or not?"

Dawn looked at him.

"Give me a reason," Dawn requested.

"I don't have one," Paul answered her plainly. "I need your help. I would be indebted to you, and that's all I can offer you in return for this."

Dawn stared at him for another minute or so before sighing sadly.

"This is pretty heavy, Paul. Are you even sure you've thought this through? This isn't just an illusion to the Champions, or a lie to my mother. This is real. Even if it isn't a real engagement, it's not just pretend anymore. This isn't going to go away. We can't just walk away from this. It's not going to be easy, or pretty, and you're not going to like it. Neither will I. I don't want to do this," Dawn said candidly. "I really don't."

It was Paul's turn to sighed.

"But... It's done," Dawn continued. "I said yes, in front of hundreds of people. I'm not going to take that back."

Paul said nothing, waiting for her to finish. It sounded like there was a 'but' coming.

"So it looks like we're stuck with each other."

"S-seriously?" Paul said, surprised. It was too simple.

"Yes," Dawn sighed heavily. "That's all I'm going to say, for right now. I think you should go. I need to think. Wrap my mind around this."

And with that, she walked through a door off the living room and shut it softly behind her. Paul stood where he was for a full minute before turning and walking out the front door.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: It gets better. This was more of an explanation/had to be in this chapter.


	8. Coming to Terms

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon. Still. BUT Harry Potter comes out in three days! We we we so excited. Sorry, felt the need to quote Rebecca Black. Because it is coming out on _Friday_.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

Dawn shut the door to her bedroom and walked numbly to her bed and flopped face-down onto it. She lay there, thinking nothing. Trying to feel nothing.

Several minutes passed agonizingly slowly. _I need to do something,_ Dawn thought lamely. _To take my mind off this._

She heaved herself out of bed and padded to the door. She reached for a Pokéball – without looking at her hand (she didn't need to see the ring that now blemished her finger) – and continued out of her apartment. She walked up three flights of stairs without pausing, and pushed the door to the roof open.

Dawn took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She laughed to herself, thinking _this is what I always do before a contest I'm really nervous for._

She opened her eyes and threw the Pokéball high in the air. Her Togekiss appeared in a flash of red light.

"Kiss!" the Pokémon cried, twirling once before floating down to Dawn's level.

"Hey, there, Togekiss," Dawn murmured, stroking the Pokémon's head. "It's been a while since you and I have practiced together, hasn't it?"

"Kiss," Togekiss agreed. She could tell something was bothering her trainer – perhaps a good, hard training session would make Dawn feel better. Besides, Togekiss has something she'd been hiding for a few days, waiting for the perfect time to show her trainer...

Togekiss soared into the air as Dawn watched, trying to think of a new way to show off Togekiss' unique beauty.

"Well, let's start with a warm-up, Togekiss!" Dawn called. "First, Aura Sphere!"

Togekiss loaded a ball of bright blue energy between the tips of her wings and then released it straight into the sky.

"Now, use Air Slash on that Aura Sphere!"

Togekiss sliced her wings through the air, shooting miniature sonicbooms at the now descending Aura Sphere. The two moves collided, and the Air Slash cut the Aura Sphere into a million pieces that fluttered down around Togekiss, giving her a pretty blue sparkle. Dawn nodded in approval.

"That's great, Togekiss!" Dawn smiled. "Now, use Safeguard!"

An eerie green shimmer surrounded Togekiss and the shattered Aura Sphere, which showed Togekiss cloaked in a sparkly green light.

"That looks good," Dawn muttered to herself. "Maybe I should do a twist of this in my next Contest..."

The green-blue shimmer was fading as Dawn watched her Pokémon twirl. Togekiss looked like she was about to do another move, which Dawn hadn't called for.

"Wait, Togek –"

Togekiss began spinning fast, and the Safeguard-Aura Sphere combination picked up again, making Togekiss looking hauntingly beautiful. As she spun, tiny bright golden stars began to appear around her. Dawn cocked her head. Togekiss couldn't use Swift...

"Kiiiiiss!" Togekiss gathered all of the little stars above her, and shot them down at a solitary tree on the roof. The stars circled the tree several times before shooting in and exploding in a bright gold, blue and silver light. Dawn stared in awe – it was one of the most beautiful moves she'd ever seen.

"Togekiss! That was amazing!" She cried, running forward and hugging the big flying-type Pokémon. Togekiss smiled, happy that she could take Dawn's mind off of what was troubling her. "What move was that?"

She didn't have her Pokédex with her, but she knew that wasn't a Swift attack. She thought back to the Contests and other battles she'd had over the past ten years, trying to match this attack with one she'd seen before. She couldn't recall seeing anything quite like this, though. "Hang on just one second, Togekiss, I'll be right back."

Dawn ran down the three flights of stairs and rushed into her apartment. She snatched her Pokédex from her bag and hurried back upstairs to the roof.

"Okay, can you use that last move one more time?" Dawn asked. Togekiss rose back into the air and repeated the beautiful Swift-like move.

"Last Resort," Dawn's Pokédex chirped. "A damage-dealing move that cannot be used until all of the user's other moves have been fully executed at least once during a battle."

"Wow," Dawn breathed. "Togekiss! It's so great that you've learned this new move! It's so pretty.. I guess because we're not using it in a battle, you didn't have to use all your moves before Last Resort. Togekiss, let's use that in out next appeals round! We'll win it for sure with this combination we just tried out."

Dawn and Togekiss spent several more minutes working to perfect the combination before Dawn decided to let her Pokémon rest.

"Thanks, Togekiss," Dawn sighed. "You were fantastic."

Dawn stood on the roof and closed her eyes, smiling, feeling the way only coming up with a new combination made her feel.

_Great that it could happen today, too. I really needed a pick-me-up..._

She opened her eyes unhappily. _I can't keep avoiding this. I'm engaged. I. Am. Engaged. _

Dawn knew the thought of being engaged was supposed to make her happy. Spending the rest of her life with someone was supposed to be the greatest adventure of one's life._ Well this certainly will be an adventure,_ Dawn thought drily.

Dawn took a deep breath and looked down at her hand, and the ring that lay nestled between her pinky and middle fingers. It was the first time she'd looked at it, really. It was a simple silver band with one circular diamond. She blinked.

It was beautiful. She hated it.

_That miserable idiot,_ Dawn screamed in her mind.

She turned around and stomped down the stairs to her apartment. She dropped Togekiss' Pokéball into her bag with the others, and went back to the kitchen. It still looked awful – May clearly hadn't tried to clean up while Dawn had met with Paul.

_I'll work on the poffins,_ Dawn decided. _Just get life back to normal. Or... As normal as it'll ever be again._

She released her Pokémon and turned on some loud music. Piplup and Lopunny exchanged a look. They knew something was really wrong with Dawn by her face and mannerisms.. But they didn't know what.

Dawn resumed her search of Figy berries, finding them at the very back of the top shelf of one of her cabinets. She turned on the stove and added her usual ingredients and left them to boil. She then pulled out a bowl and spoon and opened the jar of Figy berries. They smelled just right. She emptied the soft berries into the bowl and methodically crushed them with the back of the spoon. The familiar rhythm calmed her down, and allowed her to think about the day almost objectively. Almost.

So, she was engaged. No big deal, really. Well, except that she was engaged to Paul, a man she didn't love. She didn't even _like_ him. But, honestly, it was just an engagement. That was it. They didn't have to get married, technically. And even if they did marry, they could get divorced as easily as they got engaged.

_No need to worry, really,_ Dawn thought as she dumped the pulverized Figy berries into the poffin batter. She stirred the mixture carefully and contemplated calling her friends to tell them she was engaged, to avoid Zoey's hurt feelings and Ash's anger at finding out from the press.

_I'll call them a little later. Still tonight, before the press releases it in the morning... But after I talk to Paul._

Dawn continued stirring the poffin batter as she thought about what she would say to Paul when she saw him.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: I know Togekiss can't learn new moves. But I like Last Resort. So yeah. And this chapter was really short, so I'll update the next one later today. Maybe tomorrow.


	9. Making Plans

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

Paul left the building as slowly as he'd entered it, and crossed Amity Square. He walked purposefully to the Pokémon Center; he could pick up his Pokémon and get some training in before he would have to talk to that girl again.

_That girl, _Paul snorted. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask her. But, he needed someone. And she made sense. Besides, it's not like he'd decided to do this rashly. He never did _anything_ rashly.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Paul's eyes cut to the woman that had spoken to him.

"I'm here to pick up my Pokémon," Paul said shortly. "My name is Paul."

"Oh, of course," Nurse Joy said cheerily. "Your Pokémon are looking excellent. They're in very good shape, and they're all healed up n –"

"Can I just have them?" Paul cut her off, irritated by her small talk. Nurse Joy looked flustered as she pushed him his tray of Pokéballs. Paul took his Pokémon and turned and left.

As Paul walked to the clearing he'd used when training to defeat Fantina, he considered his Pokémon. He needed to perfect his team before he challenged Cynthia again. The next time he battled her, he would win. Her team was still the same – Garchomp, Roserade, Lucario, Milotic, Gastrodon, and Togekiss.

_Torterra, obviously, _Paul mused._ And Electivire. Ursaring could cause her some real damage, as well. Magmortar... could work well against her Roserade, I suppose.. But not if he doesn't get back into it. Magmortar needs to shape up. Drapion? Aggron... Gastrodon.. Froslass, maybe..._

He reached the clearing and released his Pokémon – Torterra, Electivire, Ursaring, Honchkrow, Drapion, and Magmortar. Magmortar was released further away from the others.

"Special training," Paul muttered, knowing his Pokémon would be listening for anything he said. "Magmortar, you know where you are right now. You're running out of chances."

The enormous fire-type showed no surprise at the threat.

"We're going to fix this _now_, got it?"

"Mag," Magmortar nodded. Paul frowned.

"Torterra, Frenzy Plant," Paul commanded. "Ursaring, Focus Blast. Electivire, Thunderbolt. Drapion, Pin Missile. And Honchkrow, Shadow Ball."

The five Pokémon simultaneously launched their attacks, aiming straight at Magmortar.

"Margmortar, Rock Tomb," Paul ordered. The enormous Pokémon released the attack, stopping Focus Blast, Thurnderbolt, Pin Missile, and Shadow Ball. Frenzy Plant smashed through the Rock Tomb and made contact, sending Magmortar reeling.

Paul shook his head angrily. "That's not good enough. Again."

Again and again, Paul had his Pokémon attack Magmortar. And he was dissatisfied every time. After training for an hour, and Magmortar looked sufficiently exhausted, he recalled the other five Pokémon.

"If you would work harder," Paul said, pulling out Magmortar's Pokéball, "you wouldn't have to go through this every day."

"Mag," the Pokémon panted. Paul recalled Magmortar and left the clearing.

_That was a waste of time,_ Paul thought. When he emerged on the street, dusk was falling. He found the apartment near Amity Square and turned away, rolling his eyes.

He wandered through Hearthome City in the general direction of his car, thinking it was time to get home. There was nothing else in Hearthome that interested him in the slightest. He wended his way through the city, retracing his steps from earlier. He got to his car and opened the door when his Pokégear started ringing shrilly. He frowned and pulled the device out of his pocket. He saw the name of the caller and flipped it open with a sigh.

"Hello," he said, still standing beside his car, door ajar.

"Hi," Dawn answered him brightly. "You're still in Hearthome, right?"

"Why?" Paul asked suspiciously. Dawn sighed.

"Because I need to talk to you, obviously," Dawn answered him patiently. "This plan you've come up with is going to take a lot of careful planning, or it's going to be found out right away. So, come over. We can talk and plan, and you can eat something."

Paul didn't answer. He really didn't want to spend any more time with her, and he _really _didn't want to eat dinner with her again.

"Okay, fine," Dawn said, shrugging. "_I'm_ the one helping _your_ ass out. If you don't want it to look real, and look like a complete idiot when everyone finds out – that includes the League, you know – that's fine. I don't need to take _more _time out of my life for you. I don't need to make you dinner either. So I guess I'll see you around, Pau –"

"Wait," Paul said, cutting her off. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I'll be at your door in five minutes."

He hung up and swung himself into the car and kicked the engine to life.

- / - / - / -

At the knock on her door, Dawn jumped down from the counter she had been kneeling on, trying to reach a pot at the top of her cabinet. She pulled the door open, revealing Paul on the other side – hands in pockets, frown solidly etched into his face. "Hi," she said. Paul said nothing, just walked past her into the apartment.

"Oh, of course, come on in," Dawn muttered to herself, pushing the door shut. She turned and headed back into the kitchen. Paul stood next to the island counter, looking uncomfortable.

"You can sit down," Dawn offered, pointing to a row of stools in the other side of the counter. He did, and Dawn returned to her cabinets. "I'm making a stew Brock taught me to make."

"I don't care," Paul said indifferently. Dawn glared at him. "What do you want to talk about? I have places to go."

"No you don't," Dawn shot back. She pulled the pot she'd been seeking down from its shelf and placed it on the counter before turning back to Paul. "I want to talk to you about how we're going to make this look real. Fooling my mom was nothing, babies could do that – but if you want this to look like the real deal, you're going to have to work a lot harder. I can do it, no problem – I can act like the blissfully happy fiancée. Easy. But you can't. So, since I'm assuming you don't want the whole world to find out about this, we need to talk about it."

"It's not like _you_ want people to find out about it," Paul said, bored.

"It doesn't make a teeny bit of difference to me if anyone finds out," Dawn corrected him. "My career isn't on the line. Neither is anything else, really. Okay, I'll have to tell my mom the truth. Big deal. But no, it'll pretty much have no affect on me if anyone finds out."

Paul stared at her, eyes narrowed. Dawn smiled sarcastically at him and returned gathering the ingredients for the stew. They didn't speak for several minutes. Dawn put the pot on the stove and started pouring things into it, stirring and sniffing occasionally.

"Alright," Paul said stiffly. "What do you suggest?"

"That we make it as real as we can," Dawn answered, "without actually making it real. As in, you move in here, or something. Firstly."

"No," Paul shook his head. "I will not move in here."

"Oh, I can hear your career's funeral march now," Dawn said, bored, returning to the stove.

"We don't have to live together."

"We wouldn't if we really loved each other," Dawn said. "Because people – like friends, not that you've got any of those – would know we were waiting til we got married to live together. But everyone just found out. So we need to take the steps now."

_Well, I don't want to be living with Reggie anymore,_Paul admitted to himself. _He'd figure it out fast if I stayed. Easier to lie to him when I don't see him much._

"Fine," Paul agreed. "When should I move in?"

Dawn glanced at him, surprised at the sudden change. "The sooner the better, I guess. It's kind of up to you."

"Tomorrow?"

"Um... I guess...," Dawn said reluctantly.

"It was your idea," Paul said bluntly.

"I know," Dawn snapped. "I still don't want to live with you."

"Tough."

"Okay then," Dawn said, ignoring him. "Tomorrow. But, I'm just saying: this is _my_ house. So you'll be living by my rules. And I don't want you bringing a bunch of crap into my house. Clothes, fine. You need those because I don't want to see you in any state of dress other than this one. But that's close to it. I'm happy with the way my house looks now."

"Why don't we move somewhere _else_, then," Paul said.

"I like my house, and I'm not moving, that's why."

"_Fine,_" Paul grumbled. "I'll move in tomorrow. Bringing clothes and very little else."

"Okay. Good."

She snatched up a wooden spoon and tasted the stew, murmuring, "This is almost ready.."

"Next," Paul said impatiently.

"What?" Dawn said absently, looking confused. Paul sighed in exasperation. "Oh, right. Another thing – I'm not changing how I live just because you'll be here."

"Whatever," Paul said. "Wait. What about sleeping... arrangements?"

"You can sleep on the couch."

"No, I can't," Paul snapped. "And I won't. If you won't move to a bigger place with more than one bedroom, you need to make some concessions. I will not sleep on the couch."

"Well, you aren't sleeping in my room," Dawn said firmly.

"It's not your room anymore, it's _ours_," Paul hissed. "So, yes I will be."

"My room isn't big enough for another bed," Dawn admitted. "I hope you still have a sleeping bag from when you were traveling."

"I don't," Paul said. "So. Either get rid of your bed to get two smaller ones, or make peace with the fact that we'll be sharing a bed."

"I'm not getting rid of my bed."

"Then make your peace."

"Why are you so adamant about this?" Dawn asked him. "It's like you want to sleep with me."

Paul stared at her.

"Not like _that!_" Dawn exclaimed, blushing furiously. " Just in the same bed. Like, actual sleeping."

"Well, I have no interest in sleeping with you in any sense other than the literal," Paul said. "So it shouldn't be a problem."

"Good," Dawn said vehemently. "Wait. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"There's nothing _wrong_ with me. You'd be lucky to have a girl like me in your bed."

"Well, as of tomorrow, I _will_ have a girl like you in my bed," Paul said nastily. Dawn opened and closed her mouth furiously, saying nothing. "But, as it were, we're still on topic one. I'm moving here and we will be sharing a bed, as you refuse to make any changes for this."

"Right."

"You made it seem like you had more to say."

"Oh, right," Dawn said, still flustered. "Well, do you plan for us to actually get married?"

"I don't know," Paul answered. "I hadn't gotten that far."

"Well, decide now," Dawn told him. "That'll change what I'm about to say."

Paul considered quietly, as Dawn pulled bowls out of the cupboards and ladled stew into them.

"Yes," Paul answered finally.

"Why?" Dawn asked him, not taking her eyes off of the ladle.

"When I beat Cynthia, they'll have no loopholes," Paul explained. "They'll have to make me Champion."

"Okay, then," Dawn said agreeably, pushing a stew-filled bowl across the counter at Paul. "So that brings me to my next point."

"Which is?"

"Kissing," Dawn said conversationally. Paul was glad he hadn't started eating the stew – he would have spat it all over the counter at that word if he had.

"_What?" _Paul sputtered.

"Oh, what?" Dawn said, pink staining her cheeks again. "You're all calm and collected when sex is mentioned, but kissing freaks you out? There's something twisted going on in your brain, Paul."

"That's because that isn't a plausible thing. Sex is more improbable than your stupid friend Ash beating Cynthia –"

"Which is quite probable, so I'd change your analogy now."

"Please. The thought of Ash beating Cynthia is laughable. But you said that like kissing is something we would actually _do_."

"Well, we _will_ have too. If you plan to have us really get married, we have to kiss when we say 'I do.' So we may as well get used to it now."

"No."

"What? Have you never kissed anyone before?" Dawn teased. Paul said nothing. "You _haven't?_ Really? Oh... Sorry. But Paul, how was I supposed to know? You're twenty-four."

"_Not_ that it's any of your business," Paul snarled, cutting Dawn off, "But _yes,_ I have. I just don't have any interest in kissing _you._"

"Why not?" Dawn said, slightly hurt.

"Because I don't like you."

"Oh, but you liked the other girl?"

"More than I like you."

Dawn didn't respond. She spooned the steaming stew into her mouth and smiled. It made her feel like Brock was there with her.

"I'm assuming you've kissed someone before, from what your mom said when we saw her," Paul said under his breath. "Well, from how she made it sound, you probably fu –"

"Finish that sentence, I _dare_ you," Dawn said in a low voice. Paul glanced at her. She was glaring at him, her hands curled into fists on the kitchen countertop.

"Why do you freak out whenever someone mentions this guy?" Paul asked her mercilessly.

"That's none of your business."

"Who was it?"

"That's none of your business, either."

"Aren't we supposed to tell one another everything? Aren't married couples not supposed to keep secrets from one another?" Paul said jeeringly.

"We're _not_ a married couple," Dawn spat. "And I loathe you. And I'll keep as many secrets as I like from you, because I'm keeping more secrets than I want _for_ you. So butt the hell out."

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes. But now I just want you to leave."

"Fine," Paul said, standing up. "I'll be over tomorrow with my stuff."

"When?" Dawn asked, without looking up from her stew.

"Around one," Paul decided.

"Fine."

Paul left as quickly as he arrived, leaving his untouched stew on the counter behind him.

- / - / - / -

He arrived at Reggie's house in Veilstone at eight. He parked his car and walked up the steps to the door, which opened without his touching it.

"Hey, little brother," Reggie greeted him, smiling. Paul looked at him for a minute.

"Don't call me that," Paul finally said, pushing past his older brother into the house.

"Sorry. You're not so little anymore, anyways, are you?"

"Glad you finally noticed."

"Growing up and getting married, huh?"

Paul stopped dead in his tracks. "What?"

"It's on the news."

"Something like that is hardly newsworthy," Paul said carefully.

"It is if you read the gossip columns," Reggie said sheepishly. "So, you left in such a big rush today to go propose to Dawn?"

"Yeah," Paul said stiffly. He started up the stairs to his room. "And I'm moving out."

"That's too bad, I like living with you," Reggie said, following him up the stairs. "Maylene doesn't like it much though. She still hates you."

"She's pathetic, that was ten years ago. But, whatever, someone had to break the truth to her," Paul said unfeelingly. "Why are you following me?"

"What, I can't talk to my newly engaged little brother on the last night he'll be living with me?"

"No."

"Fine, then. I'll just help you pack."

- / - / - / -

Dawn stored the leftover stew in a large bowl that covered easily. She groaned at the thought of her next move. She was far from in the mood to act peppy and excited.

Dawn dialed a number she now knew by heart and waited for her friend to answer the phone.

"Hi, Dawn," a voice said cheerily.

"Hey, Zoey!" Dawn said excitedly.

"How are you? You know I don't get home until tomorrow night, right?" Zoey clarified.

"Oh, I know. I just couldn't wait to tell you!"

"Tell me what?" Zoey laughed.

"I'm engaged!" Dawn squealed. She rolled her eyes. She sounded fake even to herself.

"You're... What?"

"Engaged! Paul just asked me to marry him this afternoon!" Dawn told her.

"Oh.. Wow, Dawn," Zoey sounded a little breathless. "I'm so happy for you! That's great..."

"What is it?" Dawn asked in spite of herself.

"Well... I am happy for you, really, just surprised," Zoey admitted. "I mean, maybe he's changed. I dunno, it's been ten years. But mostly... Now I just have to think of a wedding gift to get you!"

Dawn hung up with Zoey shortly and took a minute before she called to repeat the whole conversation with Ash, then Brock, and finally Kenny.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: This story is based on the movie _The Proposal_. If you haven't seen it, you should, because it's hilarious. It is _not_ based on Pretender's Fairytale – the similarities are coincidental. I wrote this story past even this point before reading Pretender's Fairytale. I do love that story though. You should read it, if you haven't.


	10. The Reason

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon. These semifinals of the Women's World Cup are SO CRAZY. (Oh, I don't own the World Cup either, I was just saying.)

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

When Dawn woke up from a night of what can barely be called sleep, it was 5:30 in the morning. She groaned and rolled over, but knew she wouldn't be falling asleep again.

_That was the last night I'm sleeping alone,_ Dawn thought listlessly as she lay there. _I should just get up, this is getting me nowhere._

She heaved herself out of bed and went into her bathroom. She turned on the water in her shower as hot as it could go and slid out of her pajamas. She yawned sleepily as she waited for the water to heat up. She glanced as her reflection in the mirror – she looked terrible, with dark circles under her eyes. Dawn wrinkled her nose and stepped into the shower.

The water burned her back and toes, and she shuddered against the feeling. She closed her eyes and let the hot water work out the kinks in her back she'd gotten from tossing and turning all night.

_Why does the league require marriage of all its Champions?_ Dawn found herself wondering for the millionth time. The only answer she'd been able to come up with was that a restriction such as that would even further limit who could attempt to be a Champion. _But that doesn't make any sense, it's restricted enough as it is._

_There has to be a real reason,_ Dawn thought decisively. _Who can I ask, who could possibly know? And who I could ask without blowing Paul's cover?_

This question occupied her for her entire shower, which lasted a good hour longer than the half-hour it usually took. The lengthy shower had achieved its purpose, though – she knew who she could ask. Especially if the rumors were true...

Dawn took her time getting out of the shower, thoroughly drying her hair and straightening it carefully. She knew he wouldn't be awake for a while, but she could wake him up at nine.

She dressed herself in her pink pajama sweatpants and a black top; she would be home all day and certainly had no one to impress. So she'd be comfortable.

Dawn traipsed out of her bedroom at about 8:30. In the time it would take her to settle her Pokémon down enough to eat, it would be close enough to nine to make her call.

"Alright," Dawn called, startling her Pokémon into wakefulness, "Wake up, everyone! It's time for breakfast. Plus, I have something to tell you all."

She settled herself onto the couch beside Quilava and Lopunny. "Someone will be moving in with us today," Dawn said. Several of her Pokémon exchanged looks. "Do you remember Paul?"

"Pip pip pip pip!" Piplup said indignantly. Dawn sighed.

"Well, Piplup, he's moving in today."

"Pip, Piplup pip!" Piplup crossed his arms.

"Piplup, that's crazy!" Dawn exclaimed. "I would never let Paul treat any of you badly. That's crazy. He wouldn't dare to even try."

"Pip," Piplup muttered, unconvinced.

"No need to worry, any of you!" Dawn assured them. She stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Now, who wants breakfast?"

- / - / - / -

It was nine-fifteen by the time Dawn's Pokémon had finished their breakfasts; Dawn figured she had waited long enough. She pulled out her Pokégear and scrolled down to the number she was seeking.

_Pick up the phone,_ Dawn pleaded with the rings.

After way too many rings, someone picked up the phone.

"Dawn... Why are you calling me this early?" he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

"Sorry, Ash, but I have a really important question to ask you," Dawn said apologetically.

"Not so loud," Ash protested. "What's your question? I'm sure it doesn't have to do with your stupid engagement. I gave you my opinion on _that_ last night."

Dawn flinched. "Yeah, Ash, you were very clear. No, my question is about you."

"Me? Why?" Ash asked, sounding more awake.

"Are you still in contact with Flint?"

"Flint?"

Ash had trained under Flint for a few months three years ago.

"Yeah. Like, do you still talk to him?" Dawn amended.

"Of course I still talk to him...," Ash said, confused. "Why?"

"Can you give me his number?" Dawn requested.

"Uh... Sure," Ash said. He told her the number, and she wrote it down on her hand.

"Thanks, Ash!" Dawn said. "Go back to sleep. You've been a big help!"

"No problem," Ash said, still sounding perplexed. "Later."

Dawn hung up and took a deep breath. She dialed the number she'd written on her hand, and held the Pokégear up to her ear again.

The phone rang itself out, and Dawn was greeted with a message.

"Hey, there, you've reached Flint's phone. Leave me a message – I'll probably call you back."

Dawn waited for the beep before speaking, "Um, hi? Flint, it's me, Dawn. We, uh, met a really long time ago. I'm a friend of Ash Ketchum's – he gave me your number. I have something I wanted to ask you... So, if you get this message, can you call me back at this number..."

She hung up. _Guess there's not much to do except wait,_ Dawn thought.

- / - / - / -

Paul awoke early, as usual. He glanced around the room – no longer _his_ room – at the small boxes next to the door. He sighed.

_This day should be no different from any other. It's time to work with just Magmortar today. See if he's done any thinking and made some progress._

- / - / - / -

It was now 11:30, and Dawn was laying on her couch, flipping through the channels trying to find May's Contest when her Pokégear started ringing. She stared at it for a second, lying on her coffee table. _Maybe this was a really bad idea..._

She grabbed her Pokégear and flipped it open, without giving herself time to back out.

"Hello?" she answered with trepidation.

"Dawn?"

It was Flint.

"Yeah, it's Dawn. Um, I'm really glad you called me back...," Dawn said nervously.

"It's no problem. You said you had a question?"

"Yeah, I uh... What's up?" Dawn finished lamely. _Really? Did I just say that?_

"Haha. I'm fine," Flint laughed. "But I doubt that's your question."

"No. I was actually wondering... I heard a rumor that you actually beat Cynthia," Dawn blurted out.

Flint was silent.

"I mean, it's just a rumor, but I definitely heard that you beat her a couple of years ago," Dawn continued, stymied by his silence.

"Why do you want to know?" Flint asked flatly.

"I... I was really just..."

"Yeah, I beat her," Flint said bitterly. "Three years ago."

"Y-you did? Really?" Dawn squeaked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well... Why aren't you Champion now, then?" Dawn asked cautiously. Flint sighed heavily.

"Because," Flint began, "I'm not _married_."

Dawn's breath caught in her chest. _It really is true._

"Why should that matter?" Dawn asked quietly.

"Because the League... is _so_ corrupt. That's why I left my position in the Elite Four back then," Flint revealed. He hadn't given a reason three years ago, when he had unexpectedly resigned. "When I found out about how they really are, I couldn't stand to be a part of it any more."

"They just let you leave?"

"Yep," Flint said darkly. "But not before making me swear – and by swear, I mean they threatened me and my Pokémon – that I would never breathe a word of my defeat of Cynthia, or of anything I'd found out about them."

"Then why tell me?"

"I don't think you'd tell anyone," Flint said. "And who'd believe you if you did?"

_No one,_ Dawn realized. _That's why it's so brilliant. A perfect set-up. No one would believe it if anyone spoke out against the League, because they're so well-respected._

"But why wouldn't they let you become Champion?" Dawn repeated.

"I told you, because I'm not married."

"Why should that matter at all?"

"Money," Flint answered bluntly.

"Huh?" Dawn said brilliantly.

"As I'm sure you know, the League _has to_ collect taxes," Flint said, putting heavy sarcastic influence on the words 'has to,' "to keep the tournaments going, to fund the starter Pokémon program, to fund the Gyms, everything."

"Mmhmm," Dawn hummed, to show she was listening.

"And they tax Gym Leaders some, the Elites more, but they get their real money from the Champion," Flint continued clinically. "Everyone wants to challenge the Champion, businesses pay to have the Champion represent them or appear in their commercials, they make special appearances at events. They get payed ridiculously for everything. So obviously, they get paid more than anyone else."

"That makes sense," Dawn said, "but it doesn't explain why the Champion has to be married."

"If the Champion is married," Flint said, anger starting to color his voice, "the League can double the taxes they collect off of the Champion. Because the Champion theoretically has a double income, theirs and their spouse's, the League taxes the Champion for both. They then get a gross increase in the money they make, but can put on record that they tax only the Champion. That way, they can keep the excess for themselves."

Dawn's mouth fell open.

"It's because of _money?_" she asked incredulously.

"Are you really surprised?" Flint asked hollowly. "That's what it all comes down to, in the end."

"I thought it would be a real reason, though," Dawn protested.

"Yeah."

Dawn said nothing for a moment, processing the information Flint had just imparted to her. Another question came to her.

"But why don't the Champions protest?" Dawn asked. "Why don't they fight it? If people knew about this, they'd be outraged."

"A lot of them don't find out for a while. They just assumed the title, the whirlwind of everything keeps them distracted. The League counts on that for a few years."

"But Cynthia's been Champion for like, fifteen years now," Dawn pointed out. "She should know for sure!"

"She does," Flint said. "But there's nothing she can really do. The League knows everything about all of the Elite trainers, and they know even more about the Champion. They do so many in-depth background check on all of the Elites, and any and all trainers they consider a threat to the current Champion. They know everything there is to know about Cynthia. They've threatened her, I'm sure. They can expose everything she's ever done – completely destroy her reputation, her future, everything. For her husband, too. He's not as high-profile, but the League would go after him, no problem.. She probably stays quiet to protect him, more than herself."

Dawn was silent. This was one of the most outrageous things she'd ever heard.

"Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

Dawn felt sweat beading on the back of her neck.

"I just heard you'd won... And I wondered why you weren't Champion," Dawn said, feigning honesty.

"That was three years ago," Flint said, confused. "Why now?"

"I, uh, just remembered." Dawn lied weakly.

"Okay...," Flint said doubtfully.

"But, thank you," Dawn said sincerely. "I'm sorry about your... Well..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Sorry you got cheated out of the Champion's title."

"Thanks," Flint sighed. "Well, it's history now, anyway."

"Thanks again for calling me," Dawn said.

"No problem," Flint shrugged. "Say hi to your buddy Ash for me."

"I will!" Dawn promised.

They hung up, and Dawn sat back down and stared blankly at the carpet. _How can they be so dishonest? So corrupt? This is wrong, what they're doing..._

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -


	11. Day One

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing at all. Satoshi Tajiri rocks my socks. He's awesome.

- / - / - / - / - / - / -

An hour later, at 12:30, Dawn hadn't moved from her spot on the couch. She had turned on the Pokémon Contest in Petalburg City, wanting to watch May's performance. The appeals round was about to begin. Vivian Meridian – still the Master of Ceremonies for Hoenn Contests – was introducing the judges.

"Hey, everyone!" Dawn called to her Pokémon. "Come in here, let's watch this Contest!"

Her Pokémon flooded into the room; Mamoswine lay down behind the sofa with Pachirisu atop his back, Piplup and Lopunny sat beside her, and Togekiss stood near the window.

"Now, let me introduce our first Coordinator of the Petalburg Contest – Harley!" Vivian annouced.

"Oh, brother," Dawn sighed.

"Alright, Ariados, let's go, hon!" Harley called, throwing his Pokéball high into the air. The spider Pokémon erupted in a blinding flash of red light. "Use Spider Web!"

Ariados raised its head and shot a strand of sticky web straight up at the ceiling. Within seconds, the web expanded, shading the stage with a colossal web.

"Wow!" Vivian shouted, "Ariados' Spider Web has covered the entire stage, showing off its power. Gorgeous!"

"Heh," Harley murmured. "You ain't seen nothing yet. Now, Ariados, use String Shot!"

Ariados spun out a String Shot that connect with the Spider Web that was suspended above the stage.

"Now, String Shot, rapid fire!"

Ariados shortened the String Shot and began to swing across the stage. It released multiple String Shots one after another, and appeared to be flying through the Contest Hall.

"Harley's doing an excellent job of showing off Ariados' speed!" Vivian commented.

"Now for the grand finish – Ariados, Shadow Ball!" Harley called. Ariados shot a ball of dark energy up at the Spider Web it had created earlier. The Shadow Ball smashed into the Spider Web and exploded, clouding the performance stage with smoke. When the smoke cleared, Ariados was posing beside Harley in the center of the stage.

"And Harley finishes that amazing performance by showing off Ariados' awesome battle strength. And now, for our next contestant, here's Isador!" Vivian shouted.

Dawn shook her head. "He never changes. That was a great performance, though. May's got her work cut out for her today... I wonder what Pokémon she's going to use? I would guess Beautifly, 'cause her mom's watching..."

"Lup," Piplup chirruped agreement.

She watched the next three performances, where the trainers used a Swampert, a Bagon, and a Gallade, respectively. She was mildly impressed by the Swampert's performance; she was fairly sure the Pokémon and his trainer would make it past the first found.

_I haven't eaten today,_ Dawn realized. She laid a hand on her stomach, expecting some guidance on what she should eat. _I haven't made buns in a while... That sounds really good. Plus I can make the dough while I watch May's Contest._

Dawn pushed herself off the couch and traipsed to the kitchen, watching the next entrant's appeals over her shoulder. She set the milk to heat on the stove and the yeast in water to dissolve before she gathered the rest of the ingredients. She kneeled on her countertop to reach the flour on the top shelf. A sharp knock at her door startled her off onto the floor.

"Ow," Dawn groaned, massaging her ankle. She stood and hobbled to the door. On the other side stood Paul, holding a small cardboard box, and behind him, Reggie.

"Hi!" Dawn said, surprised. She glanced at the kitchen clock. "I didn't know it was already one... Come in, sorry."

Paul brushed past her into the apartment. Reggie smiled as he followed his brother in quickly, shifting often to keep his grip on the large box he was holding.

"Do you need help bringing more stuff up?" Dawn asked.

"Nope," Reggie said as he set the box down on the table off the kitchen. "This is everything."

"This is all you've brought?" Dawn asked, shocked. "I thought you were moving in, Paul, not staying the weekend."

Reggie laughed. "That's what I said."

"This is all I need," Paul said, shrugging. "Clothes. Everything else, you've got."

"It's like you complete each other," Reggie laughed. Paul frowned at his brother.

"Well, if all you've brought is clothes, it shouldn't take long for you to get all settled in," Dawn said. "Reggie, can I get you anything? Water, something to eat?"

"No, Reggie was just leaving," Paul answered. Dawn raised her eyebrows at him.

"Jeez, Paul. You're welcome for the ride, and for helping you pack," Reggie said, half-jokingly. "He's right though. I need to get back to Veilstone – I'm expecting someone to drop off their Pokémon in about an hour. So, Dawn, it was really nice to see you. I'm sure I'll see you again really soon. I'm happy to help with the wedding in any way I can.

"Thank you, Reggie," Dawn said sincerely. "I'll need it!"

"Bye, little brother," Reggie called. "I'll see you soon."

"Don't call me that," Paul said for an answer. Dawn shook her head at him before she walked Reggie out.

"You should be nicer," Dawn informed Paul when she shut the door.

"Whatever," Paul grumbled. "What is this you're watching?"

"My friend's Contest," Dawn answered, returning to her hunt for ingredients.

"I'm turning it off."

"No, you're not. It was on before you got here," Dawn said firmly. "Besides, it's my house and you can't change what I'm watching."

"It's not just your house."

_Oh, right._

"Well, it was still on before you got here. So don't touch it."

"I need to unpack," Paul said, annoyed.

"Oh, right, I forgot," Dawn said, pulling the milk off the stove – it was just starting to steam. "I cleared you out one of my dressers. It's all yours now."

"Which one?" Paul asked uninterestedly.

"I should probably show you around –"

"Don't bother," Paul said. "Just, which dresser is it?"

"It's on the right side of the closet, as soon as you walk in," Dawn told him, returning to the buns. She figured he'd ask for her help if he needed it. Or he wouldn't, and he'd be busy trying to figure it out for himself for a while. Either way, he would be out of her way for now.

Paul heaved the heavy box up from the table and pushed through the only door off of the main room. He entered the room and dropped the box, then returned to the main room and fetched the smaller box. When he returned to the bedroom, he kicked the door closed with his foot. He raised his head and looked around the room. His room, now, as well. The walls were a light shade of purple. _Reggie would probably call it lavender or periwinkle or something stupid like that_, Paul thought snidely. The bed was full, probably a king or queen-size, with a bedspread several shades darker than the walls. There were approximately nine pillows on the bed. Paul rolled his eyes.

The room was pretty spacious, he had to admit it to himself. As the girl had said though, not big enough for another bed. _Too bad,_ Paul sighed to himself. He saw one door at the far side of the room, which was slightly ajar. He walked over and pushed the door open. It was the bathroom – the walls were yellow and the towels were fluffy and pink. There was one sink, and the girl's things – a velvety box that lay closed on the end of the bathroom counter, and what looked like several medieval torture devices – lay neatly to one side. She had clearly made an effort to give him some space.

He left the bathroom, deciding to put his things away quickly so he could leave and train him Pokémon for a few hours before nightfall.

_So, what did she say? The first dresser when you walk in on the right?_

Paul saw the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. He pulled the big cardboard box he'd brought in open and grabbed a handful of black socks off of the top. He turned to dump them into the drawer he'd just opened, but it was full of colorful, lacy things he didn't want to look at, let alone comprehend. He slammed the drawer shut and dropped his socks back into the box.

"You okay?" Dawn called from the other room. Paul didn't bother to respond. He now remembered that the girl had specified that the drawer was the first one on the right in the closet.

He pushed the door to the closet open and flicked on a light. The closet was far bigger than the bathroom. Paul stared at the long row of dresses that the girl had hanging neatly along one wall of the closet in disgust. _No one needs that many dresses, _Paul thought. Along the other wall were three identical dressers. Paul tentatively pulled the top drawer of the first dresser open and was relieved to find it empty. He unloaded his clothes into the dresser systematically. He didn't bring enough to completely fill it.

Paul folded up the two cardboard boxes and left the room. His eyes swept the main room. Closest to the front door was the kitchen. Directly off of that was a table and the living room area. The table was square and made of scrubbed wood, and had four chairs around it. The living room had a plasma TV which was currently blaring some girl and a Beautifly's Contest Appeals, a long black sofa, a piano, and some (probably) fake plants near the wall of glass that overlooked Amity Square. The girl's Pokémon were lying around near the sofa. _Lazy and undisciplined_. Paul rolled his eyes. The girl herself was sitting on the couch, riveted by the girl on TV's performance. In her lap was a large metal bowl. She was stirring the contents with a long wooden spoon.

"Where do I put this?"

"Shh!" Dawn shushed him, annoyed. "May's on now."

Paul glanced at the television. The Beautifly was clearly making some kind of final show – a Silver Wind was shooting straight into the air at what looked like the move Morning Sun. The two moves collided and sent a shower of golden sparks down to the stage.

"She's making it past the prelims for sure," Dawn said happily.

"I hope the rest of that performance was better, then," Paul muttered. Dawn clearly didn't hear him, so he repeated, "Where do I put this?"

He raised the folded cardboard boxes. Dawn waved vaguely towards the kitchen. "Under the sink, on the right."

Paul put the boxes where he was instructed. "I'm leaving."

"Why?" Dawn asked him, placing the bowl on the coffee table and standing up to face him. Paul made a face at her.

"Because I need to train my Pokémon if I'm going to defeat Cynthia any time soon," he said as if it were obvious.

"I, uh," Dawn said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "About that – I actually have to tell you something."

"What?"

"Um..."

"Some time today would be nice, I _do_ have things I'd like to do today," Paul said, bored.

"It's just... I found out something today that I think –"

"Well, clearly it's not urgent," Paul said, walking towards the door. "So you can tell me later. I need to borrow you key to the apartment, though."

"I – what?" Dawn asked, caught off guard. "Why?"

"So I can make a copy of it," Paul said exasperatedly. "I am living here now. It would be nice to be able to get in and out."

"Oh, of course," Dawn said, flustered. She hurried towards the kitchen, where her keys hung on a hook next to the refrigerator. "But, Paul, what I need to tell you –"

"Can wait," Paul finished, taking her keys. "I'll be back later."

Dawn watched him walk out the door and close it softly behind him. _Well, that went splendidly. How are you going to tell him this? It's not a little thing. Besides, he might back out of this whole thing if he knows. Wouldn't that be nice..._

- / - / - / -

Dawn called May after the last contestant left the performance stage.

"May, no need to worry!" Dawn assured her. "You and Beautifly were totally in synch. Your combinations were beautiful."

"Thanks, Dawn," May said, breathing out a sigh she'd been holding. "I needed to hear that. Isn't it silly that I still get so nervous during my contests? It's like I haven't been doing them for 11 years."

"I do it too, May – those kind of nerves never go away. It's a good nervous," Dawn said, kneading the dough for the buns with her hands.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, um, how's... Paul?"

Dawn shrugged, forgetting May couldn't see her. "Dunno. He left to go training. Oh, he moved in here today."

"He what?"

"Yeah, I know. He's living here now."

"Gross."

"We'll see. He's sleeping in my _bed."_ Dawn shuddered.

"You never even slept in the same bed as Kevin," May noted. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"You keep bringing him up, May," Dawn said. "Why are you talking about him all the time?"

"I'm just saying. You're doing all this stuff with Paul that you never did with Kevin."

"Like what, actually getting engaged and living together?"

"Well, yeah."

"Totally different."

"I know that," May said defensively. "I'm just thinking about what _other_ things you'll do with Paul that you never did with Kevin."

"_That's _gross," Dawn said, wrinkling her nose. May giggled.

"Oh, it's back on!"

"And, now, after that agonizing wait – the judges have come to a decision!" Vivian Meridian shouted. "These eight talented Coordinators will be advancing to the next round!"

Eight images appeared one by one on the screen. May's was the second photo up, after Harley's. The boy with the Swampert, Isador, was right after May.

"May, you're in!" Dawn squealed. "That's so great!"

"Whew!" May giggled. "I hate the wait."

"Yeah, it sucks. Hey, I'd watch out for that boy, Isador. His Swampert's pretty impressive," Dawn cautioned her friend.

"His performance was really good," May admitted. "So was Harley's."

"But I know I don't need to warn you about him."

"I guess not."

"Well, good luck! Knock 'em dead, May!"

"Thanks, Dawn," May said. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Dawn hung up with May and covered the dough for the buns with a towel and set it on the kitchen counter. It would need to rise for about an hour, and refrigerate for another four hours after that. She had plenty of time to relax and watch May's Contest.

- / - / - / -

Paul had dropped the key off at a hardware store near the apartment, with the promise that the key would be done in an hour. He left, setting off for his training grove.

_The training with Magmortar alone went fairly well, _Paul conceded. _I should work with him alone again. Maybe work with all of them, one by one. Then I can really decide which Pokémon I'm going to use against Cynthia and really focus on just them. I know Torterra and Electivire are definitely on that team, so their individual training can wait. _

As he walked, he thought about Cynthia's team of Pokémon. But for some reason, his brain kept drifting back to the girl in the apartment. Eventually, he decided it was because of the girl's Togekiss. _Cynthia's Togekiss has always given me some trouble. None of my usual Pokémon can match its speed. Maybe the girl will have a battle with me, so I can get an edge against Cynthia's Togekiss._

After arriving in his little grove, he pulled out a very familiar Pokéball. "Torterra, come out."

His enormous, most trustworthy Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"Torterra, it's been fourteen years since you and I first met," Paul said quietly. "And now, we're so close to the goal we set then. We will be the Champions. But... I need your help deciding who else to bring along with us. The five we choose will be my Champion's team; it can't really change after we make this decision."

"Torr," the giant Pokémon growled.

"So this is crunch time. We need to decide, by the end of the week."

Paul pulled out the other five Pokéballs and threw them into the air, revealing Electivire, Magmortar, Ursaring, Drapion, and Froslass (traded for Honchkrow at Reggie's last night).

_It's time,_ Paul thought, leaning forward. He glanced at Torterra, who met his gaze steadily. Paul nodded slightly, before beginning the screening process.

- / - / - / -

Dawn lazily watched the first battle round of May's Contest. She had been paired up with a girl that used a Shroomish. May easily drained her opponent's points with Beautifly's super effective moves. Harley also won his match, against a boy with a powerful Sableye. The boy with the Swampert, Isador, also won his match. The fourth semi-finalist was a boy that used a Gardevoir, who easily knocked out his opponent from the first round.

In the first semi-final match, the Swampert and his trainer destroyed the opponent's Gardevoir, sending them to the final stage. The second semi-final match-up had May facing Harley. It was bound to be a close match, as well as unpredictable – Harley was as erratic as they came.

"And this exciting semi-final match will have Harley's Ariados against May's Beautifly!" Vivian Meridian announced. "On the performance stage and in their first battle round, Harley showed off Ariados' great speed and power. May did an excellent job of showing off Beautifly's elegance and grace. This will be a fantastic match! There's five minutes on the clock – begin!"

"Now, Beautifly – take the stage!" May cried, sending her Pokéball flying.

"Ariados, you're up!" Harley called.

May commanded Beautifly to start off with a Silver Wind. Harley countered with Spider Web.

"And they start off with the moves that served them so well on the performance stage," Vivian commented.

Harley quickly gained the upper hand, having Ariados shoot off a round of Shadow Balls. May could only ask Beautifly to dodge – failing to show off any of Beautifly's moves. Harley went on to trap Beautifly in a String Shot, and continue his barrage of moves.

"We've now hit the two minute mark, and Harley's got a huge lead over May. Will she be able to pull it together for a twelfth hour victory?" Vivian wondered aloud.

"Yes!" May shouted determinedly. "Beautifly, break that String Shot with Psychic!"

Beautifly used the powerful move to split the restraints of String Shot and soared upwards, away from Ariados.

"Now, Beautifly, Aerial Ace!"

"Oh, no you don't, girlie!" Harley shouted. "Ariados, Scary Face!"

Beautifly's Aerial Ace was too quick. She dodged the Scary Face and scored a direct hit to Ariados. Harley clenched his jaw angrily.

"Then use Double-Edge, Ariados!"

"No! Beautifly, Psychic!"

Ariados' attack was dead before it was fully executed. Beautifly lifted the spider Pokémon into the air, and slammed it hard into the ground.

"Follow up quickly with Silver Wind!" May cried. Beautifly launched the attack, and time ended just as it hit Ariados.

"That's time!" Vivian shouted. May and Harley both whirled to look at the points board. "Who will be advancing to the final stage?"

May's points were an inch above Harley's.

"And it's May and her Beautifly advancing to face Isador in this exciting Petalburg Contest!"

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief for her friend. _She sure can make a battle exciting._

She watched May face off against Isador and his Swampert. The battle was intense, and the points were practically even when time was called. Isador and his Swampert beat May and Beautifly by a fraction of a point. Dawn frowned in sympathy for her friend. The shocked look on May's face said it all – she'd been too confident, facing a young boy – and she had paid the price.

"Well, we all have to learn about overconfidence the hard way," Dawn sighed. She picked up her phone to call her friend and offer her condolences and support.

- / - / - / -

When Paul returned home from his day of tough training, it was well past nine o'clock in the evening. He was pleased, more or less, with the way the training session had gone. He had, as he'd expected, added Electivire onto his Champion's team (as he planned to call it). Ursaring had looked particularly good as well; Magmortar was finally putting in the effort, and looking better every time they trained. Drapion made an excellent show – and Paul was rarely, if ever, disappointed by Drapion's performances in battle. He made a note of that. Froslass, too, had improved just in the day; she had learned to use Destiny Bond, which would be particularly useful against any of Cynthia's Pokémon – namely that Garchomp of hers.

"Where've you been?" Dawn asked from the kitchen when he walked in. Paul raised his eyebrows at her. He hung up he borrowed key from where the girl had taken it that afternoon. "Thanks. But where have you been? It's late."

"Training," Paul said succinctly. He sat at the table off the kitchen, facing away from her.

"You shouldn't be out this late, you know."

"Noted," Paul said, bored. He didn't need this from the girl.

"I kept some stew warm, in case you're hungry," Dawn said, walking past him to the living room. She gathered up the book and small bowl that lay beside it and returned to the kitchen. She pulled the silver bowl she'd been working on earlier that day and set it on the counter.

Paul stood and pulled the bowl of hot stew the girl had left on the counter towards him. He sat down again, now facing the kitchen (and the girl), and began to eat. _It's not half bad,_ Paul admitted grudgingly. He watched the girl pull out several baking sheets and push a few buttons on the oven before turning back to the bowl of chilled dough.

She said nothing to him as she pulled a small handful of dough out and began rolling it between her hands, flattening it into a circle. She unloaded a fistful of cheese and a small sausage onto the small bit of dough and rolled it into a bun shape. Paul watched her do this methodically as he ate his stew slowly. Every movement the same.

"What is it?" Dawn asked, confused, when she glanced up to see Paul watching her intently.

"Nothing. I just can't imagine how that is as interesting as you seem to make it," Paul said, shrugging. Dawn rolled her eyes and returned to her task. Paul stood and washed his bowl.

"I'm... Well, I'm going to sleep when I finish these," Dawn said, trying to block the discomfort from her voice. Paul smirked, knowing the girl couldn't see his face. _So, she's nervous about sleeping with me..._ "Just, uh, so you know. I didn't get much sleep last night, so..."

"Alright," Paul murmured, drying the bowl and spoon he'd used. "Where do these go?"

"Um, the bowls go in the cabinet under here," Dawn responded, nudging the cabinet in question with her knee, "and the spoons go in the drawer to the right of the oven."

Paul placed the spoon in the silverware drawer, and turned to put his bowl in its proper place. He stopped short though.

"You need to move if I'm going to put this away," Paul said flatly. Dawn glanced up from the buns she was neatly lining on the second baking tray. She edged to the side, barely giving him enough room. He crouched beside her legs and pushed the bowl into the cabinet.

He straightened up and looked at her. She was, again, focused on the dough. He rolled his eyes and left the kitchen, headed for the bedroom.

"Where're you going?"

"To take a shower," Paul answered. "Stop asking me stupid questions."

"That's a perfectly valid ques –" Dawn began heatedly, but Paul shut the bedroom door behind him, silencing her defense.

Paul stripped his clothes off and left them in a pile by the closet. He made his way to the bathroom and turned the water on in the shower as hot as it would go. He waited for it to heat up, and took a closer look at the girl's torture devices next to the sink. One was large, black, and shaped rather like a handgun. Another was metal, flat, with a red handle. Yet another was similar to the second device, but rounded rather than flat. He shook his head. _Women._

He stepped into the shower and had a whole new realm to be disgusted by. There was a shelf, of sorts, that held more of the girl's things. Two identical bright blue bottles, a smaller white bottle, a red-and-white sponge-looking-thing, and an opaque bottle that held yellowish fluid sat atop the shelf. Paul's eyebrows knitted together when he realized he didn't bring any of his own shower necessities. He looked distastefully at the blue bottles. He scanned the shower for anything else, and found a bar of soap. He lathered the bar between his hands and scrubbed his hair clean with that.

_Hardly the most effective method, but it will have to do,_ Paul thought lamely as he ran his soapy hands over the rest of his body. He relaxed into the hot water for a moment, and let the water clean his body. He turned the water off after less than five minutes and stood in the residual steam with his eyes closed.

- / - / - / -

Dawn finished rolling the buns and covered the trays with clean dish towels to let them rise again. They'd be ready to be cooked to perfection in the morning. She made her way to her bedroom, yawning sleepily. She pushed the door open and blinked several times with the image that met her eyes.

Paul stood in the darkened bedroom, silhouetted by the light from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Do you _mind?_" Paul hissed, irritated. Dawn blinked again and turned away, mumbling an apology. "That means get out while I change."

Dawn turned and left the bedroom. "You look stupid in that pink towel, Paul," she called back into the room.

"Close the door, too."

She did, and giggled. Her Pokémon were stretched out sleepily in the living room. She tiptoed to the light switches near the front door and flicked the lights off. The only source of light left came from the lamps in Amity Square. She felt her way back to the bedroom door and tapped on it lightly.

"Are you... wearing clothes now?" Dawn asked tentatively.

"Yes," Paul grunted in reply. Dawn pushed the door open. Paul was wearing a pair of plain black sweat pants with no top.

"You lied," Dawn accused, looking away from Paul. "Put a shirt on, I don't need to see that."

Paul sighed in exasperation, but obliged. He pulled on a plain white shirt.

"Thanks. And shall we make a rule?" Dawn proposed. Paul looked at her, waiting. "We get dressed in the bathroom after taking a shower."

"Fine by me," Paul grunted. Dawn smiled and felt it was safe to look at him again. She saw the clothes and the towel strewn near his feet.

"Ugh, you're one of _those?_" Dawn asked disgustedly. Paul frowned at her, as though she'd lost her mind. "Pick up your stupid clothes, and put them in a hamper or something! It's not that hard!"

Paul rolled his eyes, but gathered up his clothes and dumped them in the basket Dawn pointed at.

"Thank you."

"Whatever. I thought you were tired."

"I am," Dawn assured him. "I just hate dirty boy clothes on my floor."

"Ah, so it's specific to male clothing?" Paul clarified. Dawn nodded. "One too many bad experiences with boys leaving their clothes here?"

"Not on your life," Dawn said, flushing slightly. "But, like I said, I _am_ tired. Are you.. uh.. Going to sleep now, too?"

"I may as well. I suppose we should try to make it easy the first night."

Dawn crossed to the bed and started flinging the decorative pillows off the bed into a corner. Paul rolled his eyes again; he didn't understand why people had pillows on their beds that they never used.

Beneath the excess pillows, two plain white pillows lay on the bed, with something dark laying between them. Paul scrutinized the object, but couldn't tell what it was before the girl whisked it away.

"I sleep on this side," Dawn stated, climbing onto the bed on the side nearest the window. Paul shrugged, he didn't care. He flicked the bathroom light off, and turned the main bedroom light off as Dawn switched a bedside lamp on. He finally recognized the object in Dawn's arms.

He burst into laughter. Dawn stared at him, fearing that he'd lost his mind.

"Y-you... You... Oh, Arceus," Paul breathed out his final laugh. He straightened up and looked directly into Dawn's eyes. "You sleep with a Pokédoll?"

Dawn hugged the doll in her arms closer. Upon closer inspection, it was a Teddiursa. And clenched in Dawn's right hand was a piece of what looked like Mareep wool.

"What's it to you?"

"You're what, twenty? Twenty-one?"

"So what?"

"Wow. Just... wow."

"Shut up," Dawn ordered, blushing. "We're going to sleep now."

Paul was still chortling to himself as he sat on his side of the bed and slid under the covers. Dawn did the same, her back to him, curled around her Teddiursa doll. She switched the light off. Paul took that moment to take his shirt off. He hated sleeping with a shirt on. He was making a big enough compromise by wearing the sweat pants – he usually slept only in his boxers.

"Um... Good night, then?" Dawn said from somewhere on his right, ending it as a question.

"Sure," Paul chuckled, pulling the covers up over his chest.

"Arceus, are you going to laugh at this forever?"

"I might."

"That's just sad, Paul."

"Well, at least _I_ don't sleep with a doll."

"Well, at least I'm not a judgmental little toad."

The two reverted to silence as they tried, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep.

- / - / - / - / - / - / -

.

**A/N**: Sorry it's been a while... It's been a crazy few days. Harry Potter midnight premier (which was AWESOME), minor home drama (called me breaking my wrist off whilst gardening; yes, I'm exaggerating just a little bit), and my boyfriend's birthday have left me with not too much free time to write/edit. I'm also going to (try) make the chapters longer from here on out.

Also lots and lots of baking has been stealing away my time. I have an actual recipe for the things Dawn was making during May's Contest, if anyone's interested. They're really good; I've gotten back into my baking kick and have made like 8 batches of these in the past week (they're called kolaches, by the way).

I also haven't yet taken the time to thank my reviewers. Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate everything. You're why I keep writing this – I know how it goes in my head. So thank you so so much!


	12. An Agreement

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing of the lovely world of Pokémon, sad to say.

- / - / - / -

Paul awoke first in the morning, at around seven-thirty. His was facing away from the girl, but he felt something brushing against his back. He looked over his shoulder warily to see the girl curled around her Teddiursa doll, her back touching his. He sighed and pushed himself out of bed and went to find something to eat.

His search didn't take long; the girl's kitchen was easy to figure out. He found himself a loaf of bread and the toaster, and set two pieces in. While the bread was toasting, he explored the kitchen, getting to know it well. He hated asking the girl where things went or where things were; this would prevent that in the future.

A loud, obnoxious ringing met his ears. He glanced around, looking for the source. The girl's Pokégear was blaring on the coffee table in the living room. He ignored it while the phone rang itself out. His toast popped out of the toaster, and he pulled out butter and a jar of raspberry jam (all the girl had), and spread both onto the toast and leaned against the counter as he ate it. The Pokégear on the table started ringing again. He glared at it.

When the ringing stopped again, Paul began to map out his day. He wanted to get his team squared away by the end of the week, but the only way he could really test his Pokémon was in a real battle situation.

He could get to the Battle Zone easily. The city was always crawling with trainers itching to battle. And, as Paul was a very powerful trainer, they would line up to battle with him. The Battle Zone held the Battle Tower and the Battleground – both of which would help hone his Pokémon's skills. It was a short ferry ride from Veilstone. The earliest ferry left at nine-fifteen. He would have plenty of time to get there.

Pleased with his plan for the day, Paul quickly finished his toast. The girl's damn Pokégear started ringing for the third time since he'd gotten up. _Who the hell wants to talk to her so badly?_ The girl's Pokémon were waking up sleepily, eying the ringing device angrily. Paul shrugged and went back to the bedroom to change. He glanced at the bed – the girl had rolled over, facing him, still clutching the Pokédoll. Paul raised his eyebrows and pushed the closet door open. He changed quickly into a pair of baggy black pants, a long-sleeved black shirt, and a dark purple jacket. He stuffed his sweatpants into a drawer and left the room.

He grabbed his keys and his bag and made his way to his car downstairs. He would need to pick up his Pokémon from the Pokémon Center before heading for the Battle Zone.

Back in the apartment, Dawn's Pokégear began ringing again.

- / - / - / -

Dawn's awakening was not as easy as Paul's. She awoke to Piplup and Pachirisu jumping angrily on her bed, squealing in protest about something. She moaned and covered her head with the covers. It was far too early to be awake. Piplup wouldn't have any of that, though. He started pecking her mercilessly, until she sat up, crying, "Alright, alright, Piplup, I'm up!"

She stared at her little penguin Pokémon. "What is wrong with you this morning?"

Lopunny bounced into the room and pushed something into Dawn's hands. It was her Pokégear. Dawn looked at it blankly.

"Uh, thanks, Lopunny," Dawn said, confusion apparent in her voice. Lopunny shook her head and pushed at the screen with her paw. The screen lit up, and Dawn squinted to read the message.

"I have thirteen missed calls?" Dawn read in shock. No one called her that much, ever. She checked the call log – it was all the same person, but she didn't recognize the number. There were two voice messages. She pulled them up and held the Pokégear up to her ear to listen.

"Dawn, it's Flint, I need you to call me, this is _really_ urgent," the message said. "You know my number, call me as soon as you get this."

Dawn frowned and erased the message. The next one was very similar to the first.

"Seriously, this is really important, Dawn, I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't. Call me back."

Dawn's frown deepened. She quickly stored Flint's number into her phone, and dialed the number. Flint picked up on the first ring.

"Why did it take you so long to call me back?" Flint demanded, without so much as a greeting. Dawn blinked.

"Because it's eight-thirty in the morning," Dawn said, stifling a yawn. Flint sighed. "What's so urgent?"

"You know what we talked about yesterday."

Dawn's eyes opened wide, sleep disappearing from her senses. "I... Yeah."

"Well, they found out. I don't know how – maybe they tapped my phone for good measure – but they know I told you everything about them."

"Oh, no!" Dawn cried, upset. "Flint, you're okay, right? Nothing happened to you, did it?"

"Well, no. I mean, they're really angry. But I haven't done anything else in the past few years. And you aren't press or anything like that. So they didn't really do anything to me."

"That's good, Flint – you had me worried!" Dawn laughed.

"No, it's not good. I know it's not you, because you're a Coordinator, but... Are you... involved with anyone that might beat one of the league Champions?" Flint asked urgently.

"I...," Dawn so wanted to say no. But Flint had really risked himself for her. "Yeah. I'm engaged to Paul, from Veilstone City. He's a favorite to defeat Cynthia..."

Flint breathed out a sigh. "Shit."

"Why, what is it?" Dawn asked nervously.

"I know that kid, he's good. Good enough to beat her, I'd say."

"Then what's the problem?"

"They'll never make him Champion now," Flint said sadly.

"What?"

"You know too much, he knows too much," Flint explained. Dawn realized something. "They can't risk –"

"Wait! Flint, Paul doesn't know anything about this," Dawn told him. "I tried to tell him yesterday, but he wouldn't let me finish. He doesn't know anything about the League."

"He doesn't?"

"No, nothing. I mean, he found out from his brother that the Champion has to be married, but that's it. Not why or anything like that."

"Well... He might have a chance then," Flint said slowly. "_Might_. They'll want to meet with him and you very soon. Just to test out what he knows. They know you know everything now. No point in pretending. They'll need to feel you out, see if you're a threat to them."

"But I'm not!"

"They don't know that," Flint said. "So... Just be warned. They'll contact you soon. Say they want to meet the impressive young favorite to defeat the Champion. They'll be over-the-top, with a luncheon, inviting you to headquarters, and all that – then they'll get _you_ alone and probably threaten you into silence."

Dawn shuddered. "But Flint... What do I do about Paul?"

"You can't tell him. Or they'll never make him Champion."

So, it really all depended on her. Whether or not Paul would be crowned Champion. It didn't matter if Paul defeated Cynthia or not.

"But..."

"Dawn, it's simple. If you want Paul to become Champion, keep him in the dark about this. You can handle the League's threats. They won't do anything to you as long as you keep quiet."

_But this means I can't ever divorce Paul, once we're married. I'll have to stay married to him. Because the League won't stand for it, because I know their secret..._

"Thanks, Flint," Dawn said sadly. "Thank you so much for everything."

"It's no problem," Flint replied. "It's a pity they had to find out this way. You and Paul... Well, you probably could have done something about this, if you went in knowing the truth."

Dawn and Flint hung up moments later. She sat, staring into space. "This is the biggest mistake I've ever made," Dawn whispered. She was getting herself into a lifelong marriage with Paul. There was no easy way out. No divorce. And she couldn't even tell Paul.

- / - / - / -

Paul arrived at the docks in Veilstone at nine. He had time to get himself a ticket and get on the ferry. He made his way towards the ticket building, and was almost there when his Pokégear started ringing. He sighed in annoyance when he saw the name of the caller.

"What do you want?"

"You need to get home, now," Dawn said firmly, ignoring his brusqueness.

"No, I don't. I'm on a ferry," he responded, stretching the truth a bit.

"Ugh, you have a problem! You can't just leave like that," Dawn said angrily. "We have stuff we need to talk about, and do, and –"

"I have stuff I need to do," Paul sighed. He held the Pokégear away from his ear as she began to rant, and said quietly to the man behind the counter, "I need one ticket for the nine-fifteen to the Battle Zone."

The man rang him up, and Paul paid the $9.25 for the ticket and walked towards the gangplank. He reluctantly held the phone back up to his ear.

" – completely irresponsible, it's not all about you, you know, Paul. You're an arrogant toerag, and sometimes there are more important things than _you_ and _your _life and _your _Pokémon! Besides, you got a call this morning," Dawn finished abruptly.

"I what?" No one knew – besides Reggie – that Paul had moved in with Dawn. There was no one else to tell.

"Got a call. Are the words so foreign to you?"

"Well, yes, as only my brother knows I live with you thus far," Paul snapped. "Who called?"

"I didn't answer."

"Then how do you know the call was for me?" Paul asked, rolling his eyes.

"I heard the message they left."

"So you _should_ know who called."

"The League called you."

Paul froze. The League had never called him before.

"H-how did they know I'm living with you?" Paul asked, stunned.

"The League knows everything." Paul smirked at the girl's tone. "And I _do_ mean everything."

"Well, I'll answer it when I get home tonight, then," Paul said, continuing onto the ferry.

"When'll that be?"

"What are you, my mother?" Paul asked.

"No, stupid, I'm your fiancée."

"I don't know. By seven, let's say."

"Okay, I'll see you then," Dawn said. "Have a good day, _dear_."

"I already told you about the pet names. Don't even start."

He hung up and took a seat, readying himself for a day of rigorous training.

- / - / - / -

Dawn had no plans that day. She wasn't interested in training, she was too stressed out for that. She didn't even have a new combination she wanted to work on. But her next Contest was in just a few days, in Emeragrove Town – just outside of Hearthome. She supposed she and Togekiss should work on their new combination they'd just tried out... She glanced at the calendar on the refrigerator. She frowned and examined it more closely. The Contest was on Thursday. Today... was Wednesday.

_Aw, crap, _Dawn thought. _I really need to train today – how could I forget my Contest is tomorrow?_

She recalled all of her Pokémon, rushed to get dressed (she grabbed the first thing she touched, a white eyelet dress) and jammed her feet into a pair of black flats. She grabbed her Pokégear as an afterthought, and hurried out of her apartment. She locked the door behind her and made her way down the stairs. She would practice in Amity Square today.

The walk was less than two minutes, and Dawn's apartment complex was practically in Amity Square. When she arrived, she smiled told the gatekeeper, Seamus, that she needed to work with one of her Pokémon for a Contest. He winked and let her in.

She wasn't technically allowed to train in Amity Square. But the park was big enough that it didn't matter, really. Besides, she wasn't battling – so passersby liked to watch her practice. Her long sort-of friendship with the gatekeeper made it easy to slip in to Amity Square for practice sessions whenever she liked.

She strolled through the quiet gardens towards her favorite training spot near the pond. When she arrived, she pulled Piplup's and Togekiss' Pokéballs out and tossed them into the air. When the two Pokémon appeared, Dawn crouched to Piplup's height.

"Piplup, I want you to watch Togekiss' appeal carefully. After we perfect the appeal, I want to work with you for the battle stage. Alright?"

"Lup!" Piplup nodded and sat on a rock near the pond to watch Togekiss. Dawn turned to her flying-type Pokémon.

"Alright, Togekiss. You remember what we worked on a few days ago, right?" Dawn asked. Togekiss nodded. "Let's do it again – and get it perfect this time!"

Togekiss began to rise into the air. Dawn smiled.

"Now, Togekiss – use Aura Sphere!" Dawn called. "Now, Air Slash! Great, Togekiss, that's perfect – now, Safeguard!"

Togekiss' eerie green-blue cloak caught the attention of several other park-goers, who stopped to watch.

"Now, Togekiss – finish it all off with Last Resort!"

Togekiss again began to spin, highlighting her shape and the results of her previous moves. The stars appeared around her, and she shot them at a rock near a tree. The move exploded in a shower of stars. Dawn grinned and clapped her hands.

"That was awesome, Togekiss!" Dawn said excitedly. "We'll do so well in the Contest with that move, no need to worry!"

"Kiss," Togekiss bowed. Dawn smiled again.

"Piplup, you're up. Let's start off with Whirlpool," Dawn said. Piplup hopped off the rock and created a massive Whirlpool effortlessly. "Now, spin and use Bubblebeam!"

Piplup obliged, and the Whirlpool began to shine with the tiny bubbles.

"Hey, Dawn!"

Dawn called off Piplup's attack and turned towards the voice. The sun was just rising over her apartment building, so she had to shade her eyes to see the person walking towards her. She grinned.

"Hi, Zoey!" Dawn called, rushing to hug her friend. Zoey laughed and hugged her back. "How was the Contest? Your never told me before."

"Not bad," Zoey shrugged.

"That means you won, doesn't it?" Dawn teased. Zoey smiled slightly, confirming Dawn's suspicions. "Always so modest."

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighborhood – I stopped here to see you, really – before I head back to Snowpoint City," Zoey said conversationally. "I saw that move of your Togekiss', Dawn, it was really great."

"Thanks, Zoey," Dawn said sincerely.

"Do you need to train a little more, or...?"

Dawn glanced at her two Pokémon. She'd promised she'd train with Piplup, but she couldn't really muster the concentration. She shook her head and looked back at Zoey. "No, we really just came to practice that combination one more time before our Contest tomorrow."

Piplup cried out in indignation, but Dawn recalled him and Togekiss before Piplup could make much of a fuss.

"Shall we?" Zoey laughed, offering her arm to Dawn. Dawn smiled and linked arms with the girl, and they wandered back out of Amity Square. Dawn asked about Zoey's Contest, and Zoey gave brief details about the Pokémon she'd used, her opponents, and their Pokémon.

"But that's hardly important, Dawn," Zoey said seriously as they exited the park. Dawn rolled her eyes. "I want to know about you and Paul."

"There's not a lot to tell, Zoey," Dawn lied. Zoey let out her breath in a huff. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you we'd been dating. Really, I am. But you were the first person I called when he proposed!"

"That almost makes up for it," Zoey said. "Not. Seven months of nothing from you, and now you're engaged? It's not like you."

"I know," Dawn said gloomily. "My life's been turned upside-down by him, Zo, I don't know how else to explain it."

"You don't seem to be in a very good mood," Zoey noted conversationally as she turned them down a street that lead towards downtown Hearthome.

"I'm not."

"Well, what's –"

"I don't want to talk about it now, Zoey," Dawn interrupted. Zoey gave her a sideways glance, but decided not to push her friend, for now. "Where are you taking me, anyways?"

"I dunno. It's almost noon, do you want to get some lunch?" Zoey suggested.

"I'd love to," Dawn said. "I didn't eat breakfast. Didn't eat much last night, either."

"Where do you want to go?" Zoey asked. Dawn shrugged.

"I don't care, really," Dawn said. Zoey frowned at her. "Fine, how about... Aeromatic?"

"What's that?" Zoey asked her as Dawn steered them towards the restaurant. "You forget, I don't live here anymore."

"It's a new place. Next to that place Hypnotique. I take it you remember _that _ place," Dawn said teasingly, causing the woman beside her to blush. "Or do you? You _did_ drink a lot."

"Oh, shut up, you were bad that night too," Zoey said defensively. Dawn laughed, remembering the night.

"Not as bad as you. At least I was dating my guy," Dawn said, poking her friend in the ribs. Zoey squirmed away from Dawn.

"Please, I try not to remember that night."

"I know, that's why I love to tease you about it."

"Let's just go to lunch," Zoey said, folding her arms.

"Chill, Zo, it's no big deal," Dawn assured her. "I've made stupider mistakes than you."

"True," Zoey agreed, appeased. Dawn frowned.

"We're here," Dawn announced, stopping in front of a small, almost unnoticeable building. It was a classy little café, with wrought-iron tables and chairs scattered around their fenced-in patio. Zoey surveyed the courtyard and tables, many of which were already filled.

"It'll do," Zoey said. Dawn rolled her eyes. Zoey was ordinarily very laid-back, but she was quite critical of restaurants.

"Just wait til you try the food, okay, Miss Judgmental?"

"I am not that judgmental."

Dawn walked up to a small stand and told the maitre d' that she wanted a table for two. He smiled and told her that it would be only a moment. Dawn thanked him as Zoey joined her. Moments later, as promised, the maitre d' let them to a table near the street. They took their seats and menus, which the man left them to peruse.

The women searched through the menu, and after several moments, they ordered their drinks (white wine for Dawn, red for Zoey). They arrived a few minutes later.

"What're you going to get?" Dawn asked conversationally. Zoey was silent, staring intently at the menu.

"I think... The Feebas looks good," Zoey said after a while. Dawn glanced up; she'd forgotten she'd asked a question, it had taken Zoey so long to respond. Zoey continued to read aloud, "Marinated in olive oil, butter, onion, Marsala, and mushrooms. Hmm."

"You're so picky," Dawn chastised, laying her menu aside. Zoey glanced at her.

"What, you're saying you've picked?"

"Yeah," Dawn said easily, sipping at her glass of wine. Zoey made a face, clearly saying she didn't believe her. Dawn raised her eyes at the challenge. "I'm getting the arugula salad with bacon, bleu cheese, grapes, and almonds. It comes in a balsamic vinegar."

"You're getting a _salad?_" Zoey asked, appalled. Dawn nodded.

"It's big. Besides, it's delicious. Don't knock it til you've tried it," Dawn said lightly. It was Zoey's time to raise her eyebrows.

"I could say the same to you. Or _can_ I?" Zoey shot back. "You haven't told me anything about you and Paul. I don't know anything about you anymore. Are you even still a virgin?"

Dawn made a face and hissed, "Not so _loud_, Zoey!"

Zoey didn't take her eyes off Dawn to see the people at surrounding tables staring at them. "Well, Dawn?"

"I _am,_" Dawn snapped. Zoey looked doubtful. "We... We want to wait."

"Til what, Dawn, _marriage_?" Zoey said snidely. Dawn's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, Zoey. Til we're married."

"How many times have I told you, Dawn?" Zoey sighed in exasperation. "You wouldn't buy a car without test-driving it first, would you?"

Dawn gasped. "Zoey!"

"I'm serious. You could be in for a life of terrible sex, Dawn. I'm trying to protect you, that's all," Zoey said indifferently, taking a sip of her red wine. "Maybe you haven't thought this through."

"Of course I have," Dawn said firmly. "I wouldn't get engaged to someone I wasn't prepared to spend my life with."

"Oh, like you were about to do with Kevin?" Zoey shot back. Dawn felt her eyes start to prickle with unshed tears.

"Zoey, why are you acting like this?" Dawn asked as calmly as she could. Zoey looked a her.

"You lied to me," Zoey said simply.

"That doesn't mean you have to be this mean," Dawn said weakly, staring at the table.

"If you're not even strong enough to argue with me, how do you plan to spend your life married to Paul?" Zoey asked frankly. Dawn raised her head to meet Zoey's gaze.

"He's not using my past to hurt me, Zoey," Dawn said steadily. She stood up. "So I think I'll live my life with Paul just fine. Besides, I didn't think that's what friends would do to one another. No matter how mad one might be."

She reached into her purse and dropped enough money to cover her unfinished glass of wine onto the table. Without another word to her now-protesting friend, Dawn spun around and left the restaurant. She walked quickly, not stopping until she reached the couch in her apartment.

She curled up sadly, and ignored her Pokégear when it began ringing; she knew it was Zoey. She didn't want to talk to her right now.

- / - / - / -

Paul was, as he had suspected, extremely bored with his day of battles. None of the so-called trainers that had challenged him had taken any of his concentration to defeat. One good thing, though, was that Magmortar was clearly starting to put in the necessary effort. Meaning he was back in the running for his Champion's team. He'd also determined that he would add his Drapion to his team. Drapion hadn't let him down in many years. Clearly, Drapion would be an asset. As would Ursaring, whom he'd also determined deserved a prestigious spot on his Champion's team.

_And then there were two,_ Paul thought lazily, as he commanded Froslass to use a final Ice Beam on the girl's pitiful Gligar. She seemed shocked when Gligar collapsed. Paul silently recalled his Pokémon, and waited for the girl to approach him.

"You're just as strong as they say," she said, a grudging admiration in her voice. Paul inclined his head at the compliment. "I hope you beat Cynthia this year. Your Froslass is really something."

"I know."

They worked out his victor's payment, and the girl left, presumably to take her Gligar to the Pokémon Center. Paul glanced at his Pokégear; it was already past seven. He remembered that he'd told the girl he'd be home by seven. Oh well. He made his way back to the marina, knowing there was a ferry home at seven forty-five. He'd make it in time, but that meant he'd be home well after nine. Again. He'd have to call the League the moment he got back to the girl's place.

On the ferry ride home, Paul thought about the League's call. They'd never bothered to contact him before. It made sense, though, that they would want to speak with him now that he was married. And therefore a candidate for the Champion's title.

As he had many times over the past week or so, he wondered why the Champion was required to be married as a secret part of the League's necessary attributes. He'd mulled the question in his mind in the hours he lay awake at night, most of the time he was training, and any other time his mind slipped from its task. But each time, he came up blank.

He supposed it didn't matter, much. He was engaged to be married now. And, fortunately, it was to someone he could tolerate, though he'd never tell her that. It could be someone _really_ horrible.

On the ferry ride home, he thought about the girl, his Pokémon, and what the League could possibly want. He decided rather quickly that he'd never figure out what the League wanted until he called. He knew four of the Pokémon he intended to put on his Champion's team. And he was planning to keep Magmortar if he kept up his performance, and he'd always liked using Froslass. The feminine Ghost-and-Ice-type Pokémon always took his opponents by surprise. That left him with not much to think about other than the girl. His fiancée.

She was annoying. There was no denying it. But she wasn't as bad as his rival, so to speak, so she was more than tolerable. She wasn't a bad cook, either. In fact, he rather liked her cooking. But she watched stupid television programs and she was a Coordinator. Two strikes – he'd never taken Coordinators seriously. She was okay to look at. That was all his stubborn mind would allow him to admit. But he'd be spending some time with her – so most of these things were positive. He could not be around when she was watching her asinine Contests on TV. He'd need to be out training, regardless. And although she was a Coordinator, some of her battle styles were intriguing. Well, the one Swift followed by Flame Wheel attack was impressive. He might use that in the future.

When he arrived in Veilstone, his thoughts were still plagued by the girl. He drove home without bothering to turn on the radio. He had enough on his mind – namely, a girl that was waiting for him impatiently for him to get home.

He climbed the stairs to the apartment quickly, arriving at apartment twenty in no time. He unlocked the door and found the apartment dark and the girl nowhere to be seen. He checked the bedroom; it, too, was empty. He was just getting (very slightly) concerned when he heard her voice from nowhere.

"I'm out here, Paul."

He tried very hard not to show had much she had startled him. He thought he succeeded, because she made no comment. He followed the girl's voice; she was standing outside on a small balcony, leaning against the restraints, looking up at the sky. He joined her outside. She said nothing when he joined her, just kept staring up into the sky. He followed her gaze to a cloudless night. He glanced at her. There was nothing interesting about the sky.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Dawn murmured. Paul gave the sky a cursory glance.

"I guess," he said, shrugging. Dawn smiled slightly at his reluctance.

"You know, Paul... We're going to be together for a long while," Dawn began. Paul's eyes skipped from the sky to the girl. He said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "Don't you think we should make it as easy as possible? I mean, I'm not asking you to love me. Or even like me, really. That's too much to ask. It's not what I want, anyways. I'm quite sure it's not what you want. But, we can be civil, can't we? We can be... Well, at least that much."

Paul stayed silent, surprised by the girl's speech.

"It would be so much easier than arguing, the snide comments, everything else – it doesn't have to be anything more. Civility is all we need. Then it wouldn't be so much effort around other people, to act like we like each other. You know what I mean?" Dawn finished.

Paul contemplated her words for a few minutes. It would be hard, yes. He'd never bothered to try to be civil to anyone, really. Reggie never bothered to make him; he was accustomed to Paul's behavior. Nobody else knew him well enough for him to bother trying. Nobody had ever asked him. But here was this confusing girl, his chance fiancée, asking him for civility after knowing him for only days.

"Alright," Paul said after a long time. "We'll be civil."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence and sat outside, the call from the League utterly forgotten.. For now.

- / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: I really have no excuses about why I've taken so long to get this chapter up. I rediscovered FerPotter's _Not Only a Granger_ and its amazingness sucked me in again. I've been reading it nonstop for the past two days. It's so epic. If you love Harry Potter (but really Snape and Hermione), read it. It's fantabulistical. Anyways. There wasn't a lot of ikarishipping in this chapter either. I suck. BUT I swear to you, it's coming. There's definitely some in the next chapter. Pinky swear.

**Coming up next**, Dawn's Contest and the introduction of Kevin. Plus, a bit of Paul's past is revealed.

Thank you thank you to all of my reviewers. I love you supermuch, I really appreciate the feedback.


	13. Revelations

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon... Still. I know it's been a while but I haven't acquired the franchise. Tear.

- / - / - / -

Dawn awoke as suddenly and completely as though someone had hit her in the face. She glanced to her left, where she expected to see Paul lying asleep. He wasn't there. She listened, and could hear the shower on. Closing her eyes and snuggling back under the covers, Dawn tried to drift back to sleep. Out of habit, she glanced at the clock beside the bed. It was only ten-thirty. She lay there for a few moments, listening to the water pounding in the other room. Then her eyes flew open. _Ten-thirty_?

"Shit!" Dawn leaped out of bed and ran across the room. She wrenched the doors of her closet open. "Of all the days to oversleep... I have to be at my Contest in an hour!"

Dawn rifled through the various Contest dresses that she'd gathered throughout the years. She wanted to emphasize Togekiss' beautiful Safeguard-Aura Sphere move , so she knew she was looking for a greenish-blue dress. She pushed the rejects further along the closet bar, with a specific dress in mind. She couldn't remember where she'd hung it, though... In some other part of her brain, she vaguely registered that Paul had turned off the water in the bathroom.

Dress after dress was pushed out of the way. Dawn was starting to think she'd have to choose a different dress when she found it. Halter neckline, fitted under the bust, secured with a blue brooch, fell in pleats to just past her knees. The dark blue-green looked good on her, and there was a slash of bright turquoise near the bottom. She smiled and hung the dress in a bag. She would change there, as always.

Satisfied with the dress, Dawn pulled a pair of simple black shoes with a low heel off of her shoe rack. She carried the bagged dress and shoes to the bed and laid them there.

"Paul!" she called, turning to the still closed bathroom door. She received no answer. Dawn knew she wouldn't have time to shower, but she was going to put on make-up and do her hair for damn sure. She'd walk right into that bathroom, whether Paul was naked or not. "Get your ass out, I need to get ready!"

Dawn still received no answer from the door. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Grumbling to herself, she marched up to the door and pushed it open. Paul stood on the other side, towel (fortunately) wrapped securely around his waist. He heard the door bang against the wall, and turned and glared at her. Dawn crossed her arms at his look.

"Don't you knock?"

"No."

Paul rolled his eyes, and Dawn's mouth twitched.

"You know, you don't look that fearsome when you do that," Dawn informed him, walking around him. She tried hard not to 'accidentally' touch him as she brushed past him. She failed; her upper arm brushed his chest. Paul raised his eyebrows – the touch had not escaped his attention.

"Why are you in here?" Paul asked her, making no move to exit the little room. "I thought we were supposed to be being civil. Walking in on someone while they're in the shower does not fall under that category, as far as I am aware."

"You weren't in the shower when I came in," Dawn said slyly. "And I have to get ready."

"For?"

"My Contest," Dawn answered, opening her make-up box. She pulled out her mascara, dark green eyeliner, and shimmery green eyeshadow. "Speaking of," Dawn continued, her tone changing to be more polite. "Would you mind giving me a ride?"

"What?" Paul said blankly. Dawn glanced at him, halfway through rummaging through the box, looking for something else.

"Can you please, pretty please, give me a ride to Emeragrove Town in about a half-hour? I need to be there for my Contest," Dawn asked. "Please? I have no other way of getting there."

This wasn't technically true; Zoey had offered to take her. But that was before their argument. Dawn still hadn't answered her calls, and had ignored her when Zoey had come to her apartment. She wasn't ready to talk to her yet – so she had no plans to let Zoey take her today.

"When?" Paul asked grudgingly. Dawn smiled radiantly at him. Paul blinked.

"I have to be there around 11:30, 'cause the appeals round starts at noon," Dawn said quickly, still grinning at him. "You can stay for the Contest – it shouldn't take more than two hours."

Paul wrinkled his nose. He didn't like Contests. _Although,_ he admitted to himself,_ you did think her battle style was interesting – and you are going to use her Swift strategy against Cynthia._ "Okay," he said, after a long pause. If he'd thought her smile couldn't get any wider, he was wrong.

"Thank you thank you!" Dawn said in a sing-song voice. "Now, get out, I need to get ready so we can leave at eleven."

And with that, she pushed him out of the bathroom and closed the door in his face.

- / - / - / -

Forty minutes later, Dawn bounced out of the bedroom, her hair and make-up done, clad in a light pink dress. She clutched her bagged dress; she was wearing the shoes already. She grabbed her bag that contained her Pokéballs, and skipped to Paul's side, who was surveying her over the rim of his coffee mug.

"You seem overly excited for this," he noted. She shrugged and poured some coffee into a travel cup.

"C'mon, don't want to be late," Dawn said, pushing the front door open. She waited for Paul to get his keys and exit ahead of her before pulling the door shut.

They walked to the car in silence – Dawn, lost in thoughts and nerves about her Contest; Paul, dreading the appeals round.

"You know where Emeragrove is, right?"

"Yeah," Paul answered. Dawn took a sip of coffee and settled against the comfortable leather seat, preparing for the thirty minute drive to pass in silence. But Paul surprised her by continuing, "I know someone that lives there."

"Do you?" Dawn said, surprised. "Emeragrove's a tiny little town. I wouldn't have thought anyone would know anyone from there."

"I do," Paul said, and his expression was one of slight discomfort. "Or I used to."

Dawn frowned slightly. Paul stared determinedly at the road as he merged onto the freeway, heading away from Hearthome. "What do you mean by that?"

"We haven't spoken in a long time. They might have moved," Paul said. Dawn didn't believe him for a second, and Paul seemed to gather this from her expression. "It's been a long time. They probably don't even remember me."

"If you say so," Dawn said dubiously, taking another gulp of coffee. She could tell he didn't want to talk about it, and seemed to regret bringing it up. "I wonder who'll be at this Contest? Kenny's not back from his tour in Hoenn yet –"

"Who?" Paul asked.

"Kenny. We've been friends since we were little," Dawn explained. "We both grew up in Twinleaf, both started our journeys around the same time, both chose Piplup as our starter – even both decided to go for Contests. He recently went over to Hoenn to try his luck in Contests there. He won his five ribbons, but the Grand Festival isn't for another few months, so he was coming home."

"Ah."

Dawn chattered away the whole drive there, and rather than being annoyed, Paul found himself listening to her. He wouldn't say he was _interested_ in what she was saying, exactly, but he wasn't tuning her out. The drive passed quickly with very few comments on Paul's side.

"We're almost there, I think," Dawn said, peering out the window. "I remember it being in the middle of the city, not a very big building, but – there, that's it!"

She was pointing at a large brick hall. Over the double doors, there was a sign that read "Emeragrove Contest – Today!"

"What gives you that idea?" Paul muttered under his breath. Dawn pretended not to hear him.

"Just find somewhere to park – don't be negative," Dawn chastised.

"What, I can't just drop you off?" Paul asked, disgruntled.

"Nope, you have to come in with me."

"What?" Paul exclaimed. "Why?"

"Someone has to hold my stuff when I register. Why do you think I brought you?" Dawn said seriously. Paul stared at her incredulously for a minute before Dawn started laughing. "Kidding. But come with me anyway, won't you?"

"Fine."

They found a parking space about a block and a half away. Dawn complained that it was far away, and Paul reminded her that he'd offered to let her off at the building. Though this didn't stop her complaints, they lessened slightly. They walked together to the Contest Hall, trying to ignore the whispers and pointing directed at them. Paul was uncomfortable – the last time people had been whispering and pointing about him, it was because he was a favorite to defeat the Champion; though that had not changed, he knew they were staring now because of the woman on his left. Dawn seemed to take it in her stride; she seemed unfazed by the attention.

"Do you think we should- y'know, act different?" Paul murmured. Dawn glanced at him.

"No, not really. Why bother? They know we're together," Dawn said quietly. "If you want, we can hold hands or something, but I don't think it matters either way."

"Okay," Paul said, relieved. They were walking up the steps of the Contest Hall. Paul pulled the door open and let Dawn enter before him. The lobby of the Contest Hall was busy, with Pokémon and people milling around. Dawn walked purposefully to the front desk, Paul trailing behind her. She turned and dumped her purse and dress into Paul's arms and began filling out the usual paperwork. Annoyed, Paul scanned the room. He watched a younger girl chase her Spoink around the lobby, trying to make it obey her; an elderly couple that was reading a program of the day's events; a pigtailed woman with curly hair was putting her Pokéball into a ball capsule while the man beside her stared around listlessly; a boy in the corner was saying the different moves of his Pokémon so quickly Paul couldn't make out a single one.

After a few minutes of this, Dawn straightened up, thanked the woman behind the counter, and walked away. Paul followed her, irritated that she hadn't taken her things back. She made her way into the back rooms, and found a changing room.

"Thanks for holding my stuff," Dawn said, smiling. She took the bag and dress back, and placed them on the counter. She looked at him expectantly. He looked blankly back. "Can you... Leave? So I can change?"

"Right," Paul said, turning and exiting the dressing room. He leaned against the opposite wall, not sure why he was waiting for her to come back out. He could easily leave and find a seat. Or... Well, as he'd said, the person he knew that lived in Emeragrove had probably moved. No sense in going to visit.

Dawn dressed quickly and did a spin to get the full effect. She wished one of her friends could be there to tell her she looked good; she knew Paul wouldn't say anything. She stored her things in her locker and skipped out, holding only Togekiss' Pokéball and a ball capsule. Paul stood waiting for her on the other side of the door. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing.

Paul looked up at her. She was wearing a dark dress – maybe green? – that was tied behind her neck and fell to her knees. His eyes were immediately drawn to the sparkly brooch. His eyes trailed up a few inches, so that he was staring at her cleavage. When he realized what was doing, he coughed and looked away. Dawn smiled slightly.

"So, shall we go?" Dawn asked pointedly. Paul shrugged, still determinedly looking away from her. He walked a half-step behind her further down the hall and into a big, couch-filled room. The were four televisions mounted in the center of the room, which the awaiting contestants would presumably watch the Contest. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"I guess," Paul shrugged. "Where am I supposed to go? I can't stay here."

"Sure you can."

"Perhaps I should have been clear. I don't want to."

Dawn made a face at him. "You know, you shouldn't –"

"Oh my gosh, is that _Dawn?_" They heard a carrying stage whisper from somewhere to their left. They turned to face the voice, and saw the woman Paul had seen in the lobby – the one that had been putting her Pokéball in a ball capsule. She had changed into a long-sleeved black dress that had red stones around the neckline and wrists that glittered when she moved. Her hair was held in two high pigtails, and fell in curls to her shoulders. The man that had been standing with her in the lobby was beside her, a cruel smile carved into his face.

"C-c'mon, Paul, I'll show you were to sit," Paul glanced at Dawn, whose voice was quivering.

"Oh, leaving already, _Dee-Dee?_" the woman asked sweetly. "We haven't even had the chance to chat."

"Yes, Ursula," Dawn said stiffly, studying her shoes. "I _daresay_ I'll see you during the Contest."

"Do you really think you're good enough?" Ursula said innocently. "To even make it past the appeals?"

Paul looked between the woman Ursula and Dawn. He couldn't see Dawn's face, but her shoulders were shaking with fury.

"I mean, really, Dee-Dee, you can't even hold on to a boyfriend," Ursula purred, stroking what Paul assumed to be her boyfriend's chest. He was tall, with light brown hair and flat, black eyes. "You've really lost it."

"I'm engaged," Dawn mumbled to her feet.

"What was that, Dee-Dee?" Ursula asked, cupping a hand around her ear. The man with her made a move forward.

"Long time, no see, Delicious," he said in a low voice. Dawn, who had barely been moving before, froze.

"Get away from me," Dawn said shakily. The man kept moving towards her.

"Why? You _love_ it when I touch you, Dawn..."

"Get – away –" Dawn murmured jerkily, still staring at the ground, not moving away from him.

The man was only two steps from Dawn when Paul stepped in front of her.

"What's your problem?" the man asked angrily.

"Step the fuck back," Paul said. The man was taken aback, but wasn't startled enough – he was clearly ready to fight with Paul.

"Don't get involved in things you don't understand with, boy –"

"I understand perfectly. And I don't like to repeat myself. But for you, I'll make a special exception – Step the fuck back," Paul said in a steely voice. He felt Dawn's forehead touch his back; she must be leaning her head against him. He could feel her shaking.

The confrontation was starting to draw the attention of the other contestants. Ursula was watching Paul with her arms folded, a sour look on her face.

"She's not even worth it," the man scoffed, turning back to Ursula. "Let's go."

Ursula stared at Paul for another few moments before turning to follow him. Paul watched them go, looking disgusted. He knew Dawn was still leaning into his back, so he didn't dare move.

"Let's go back to that dressing room," Paul said quietly. Dawn nodded into his back, and he felt the pressure leave. He took hold of her wrist and pulled her out of the room and down the hall. She obeyed his pressure without thinking.

He pushed her onto the bench in the dressing room – she hadn't even realized they'd gotten there – and shut the door. She heard a soft _click_ and knew he'd locked it.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. She thought idly that she never thought she'd seek comfort from Paul, ever – much less that he'd ask about her well being.

She nodded, and hiccupped back a sob. He stood by the door, not knowing what to do – he had always avoided crying girls, and therefore had no idea how to deal with them. He watched Dawn's shoulders shaking as she struggled to hold her emotions in.

"It's – er – okay," Paul said awkwardly. He walked to her and clumsily patted her shoulder; he wasn't expecting her reaction: she leaned into his hand, and he didn't have the heart to push her away.

"So," Dawn said, with a tremendous effort to keep her voice steady, "lucky you – you've met Kevin."

This name meant nothing to Paul, he'd never heard it before.

"He's my ex-fiancée," Dawn murmured. "Well, ex-almost-fiancée. We dated for about two years, two years ago. I was visiting him at his apartment, and I was looking for something in the bathroom and found a box. With an engagement ring in it. I guess it was in the bathroom 'cause he thought I'd never look there," she said dully.

Paul said nothing, knowing she couldn't stop now she'd started.

"I was so excited. I loved Kevin so much. Wanted to marry him, wanted to spend my life with him. What a fucking joke," she choked out. "I told all my friends, started planning in secret... But I found out about him, barely three days later," Dawn sighed heavily. "Walked in on him, in my own apartment. Fucking Ursula on my couch."

"He didn't even try to apologize, or explain. Just said, 'well, it was only a matter of time. Can't believe it took you a year and a half to figure it out,'" Dawn said in a monotone. "He'd been sleeping with her since right after we started dating. But I was more famous than she was – richer. So he dated me to the public. He just wanted what I had, what I could give him. Not me. Never me."

Paul watched her, and he felt an emotion creep into him that he'd never known before. He couldn't place it, but he did know that he wanted to turn around and teach that guy not to screw with anyone – especially Dawn. Wanted to hurt him.

"I've only told two people that, you know," Dawn said in a small voice. "That part of the story. Just May... and you."

"I thought I was over it," Dawn said. "What he did to me."

"It isn't your fault," Paul murmured. "It's not."

"Are you sure?"

"How could you know?" Paul pointed out. "How could you have protected yourself from that? It can't be your fault."

"I could've –"

"Look," Paul said firmly. "It's not your fault. It's him, and that bitch girlfriend of his. You shouldn't be in here crying, Dawn. You should get out there and kick her ass in this Contest. Show her you don't give a flying fuck in a bucket that she 'got' him. He'll do it to her, too. Show her that you're better than her. You just can't sit in here, weak and pathetic – you're better than that. So prove it."

"That's the first time you've called me by my name..."

"That's all that got through to you? Of everything I said – that's what you paid attention to?" Paul said exasperatedly. Dawn gave a small smile.

"No," Dawn said, standing up. She looked him full in the face. She looked better than she had when they'd arrived. The tears clung to her eye lashes and made her look... "You're right, Paul. I'm gonna go kick some ass."

She marched past him, and at the door, turned back. "Thank you."

She left before giving him a chance to respond, though admittedly, he could think of nothing to say.

- / - / - / -

"And now, for our last Contestant of the day – it's Dawn!"

"Now, Togekiss – Spotlight!" Dawn flew out onto the stage, and threw Togekiss' Pokéball high into the air. Green stars erupted from the ball, concealing the enormous flying-type. "Start it all off with your Aura Sphere!"

Togekiss fired six blue energy balls towards the ceiling. "Air Slash!"

The Aura Spheres shattered, and began to fall in glittering specks back towards the ground.

"Now, Safeguard!" Dawn cried, twirling on the spot. The familiar eerie green glow surrounded her Pokémon, and the sparkling pieces of the Aura Sphere joined, giving Togekiss a beautiful dazzling glow. Dawn could hear Marion shouting something to the audience, but she didn't care – it was time to wrap this up. "Finish it all off with your Last Resort!"

Togekiss spun rapidly on the spot before plunging, silvery stars streaming behind, and shot them at the stage, where they shattered to tremendous applause. Dawn and Togekiss took a bow, and left the stage.

Dawn waited backstage for the judges' results, nervous that she and Togekiss wouldn't get through. She chewed on her thumbnail impatiently.

"There's no need to worry – right Dawn?" came a familiar voice from behind her. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked flatly, not turning.

"Look, Dawn, I'm sorry for what I said," Zoey said, sitting down beside her. "I'm so so sorry. But I was mad, and hurt, and I felt betrayed. It's no excuse for what I said. I was awful to you. But please... I need you to forgive me."

"Why should I bother?" Dawn asked coldly. _Ha, I'm starting to sound like Paul,_ she thought.

"Because we've been friends since we were ten years old, Dawn, and I love you."

"I'm still mad at you," Dawn informed the girl.

"I know you are," Zoey said solemnly. "But... you will forgive me, right?"

"Eventually," Dawn said, her eyes glued to the television, waiting for the judges' results. Zoey hugged her around the stomach, and Dawn smiled and patted her head. "Here it is!"

"Sorry for the wait, here are the eight talented coordinators moving on the the final round!" Marion shouted.

Dawn's picture was the first to appear on the screen. Ursula's was the last.

"Here we go," Dawn sighed. "Time to kick some ass."

"I like your thinking, girl. Good luck."

Marion presented the match-ups for the first round of the battle stage; she was battling a younger girl. She didn't bother looking for who Ursula was battling. They would meet, or they wouldn't.

In her first battle, Dawn sent out Piplup against her opponent's Spoink. Dawn and Piplup won by knockout in the third minute. She glanced up at the score board and saw the curly pigtails of her next opponent. Dawn smiled as she left the stage; she was dreading this next match. Ursula was never a fun battling partner – even before the whole affair with Kevin.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the second round of the battle stage! On my right, it's Dawn! And on my left, Ursula!" Marion called. "Five minutes on the clock – begin!"

"Go, Piplup!" Dawn yelled, throwing Piplup's Pokéball into the air, which burst open in a shower of blue bubbles. "Spotlight!"

"Go, Garchomp!" Ursula snarled. Garchomp appeared in a large pink heart. Dawn wrinkled her nose; that ball seal had never worked well for Ursula's Garchomp, in her opinion. Ursula's bad attitude shone through her Garchomp.

"Now, Garchomp, use Stone Edge!"

"Spin and dodge it, Piplup – then use Bubblebeam!"

Piplup spun gracefully out of the way of the attack and landed a direct hit to Garchomp, who growled in discomfort. Ursula's points dipped due to Piplup's evasion and the attack connecting with Garchomp.

"What's up, Dee-Dee? That all you got?" Ursula taunted. "Garchomp barely felt that!"

"Whirlpool, Piplup!" Dawn cried, ignoring Ursula. Garchomp was trapped in the vortex, and Ursula gave it no commands other than to scream 'get out of there' as her points dwindled to less than half.

"Finish this off now, Piplup!" Dawn commanded. "Use your Ice Beam!"

"No!" Ursula yelled, denial etched in her frown lines. "That Piplup doesn't know that attack –"

Piplup shot a beam of solid ice from his beak directly at the Whirlpool that trapped Garchomp. He steadily froze the Whirlpool, drawing closer and closer to Garchomp's struggling figure every second. Ursula's points drained; she had barley a quarter left.

"Guess you're wrong about more than you thought, Ursula!" Dawn called. "Piplup and I worked hard to learn this move! Now, Piplup!"

Piplup turned up the intensity of his Ice Beam as it connected with Garchomp. The now-frozen Whirlpool glittered, Garchomp frozen solid in the center. Ursula's points emptied to nothing.

"And the winner of this match – is Dawn!" Marion cried. "Dawn and Piplup will be advancing to the final stage!"

Dawn took a bow and shot a vindictive look at Ursula, who stood rooted to the spot. Her face was blotchy and red from anger.

Dawn's final match was against a teenaged boy that used a Tyranitar. She and Piplup pulled off a win, by a tiny margin of points at the end of the five minutes. Dawn and Piplup stood center stage, as Mr. Contesta presented her with the Emeragrove ribbon. It had a golden, diamond-shaped center and the silky ribbons were the same color as her dress.

"Congratulations, Dawn," Mr. Contesta said softly, for her ears alone. "You've improved yours and your Pokémon's skills so very much. I'm proud to see your passion has only intensified over the years."

"Thank you, sir," Dawn beamed. She held the ribbon triumphantly over her head to show the audience, who screamed and applauded.

Backstage, Dawn changed back into her pink dress, and carefully put the green one back into its protective covering. She heard the door open behind her, but paid it no mind until she heard, "Well, well, well, Delicious. You've still got it."

"What do you want?" Dawn asked bravely, not turning to face him for fear she would burst into tears. He chuckled darkly.

"What I've been missing," he murmured greasily into her ear. She hadn't realized he was right behind her, but she was paralyzed by her emotions. "It's been so long, Delicious."

"Don't call me that," Dawn whispered.

"But you like it," Kevin said, stroking her neck. She flinched away from his touch. "And it doesn't matter that you beat Ursula today. I knew you would – you're _so_ very talented. I wish I'd gotten to know what other _talents_ you have, Delicious. You never let me find out..."

"Stop it. Get away from me," Dawn said, and, realizing she could move, she stumbled away from him.

"But I don't want to," Kevin said, advancing on her. "You made me wait two years. I was patient. But I'm done waiting –"

"N-no – st-stop it –"

He was almost to her; Dawn's eyes were wide and fearful, and she could see nothing but him –

But then he was being pulled away by something – or someone. Dawn heard something heavy slam against the lockers, and was suddenly being pulled away from Kevin by the wrist. She followed blindly, her thoughts still fixed on what he had been saying to her..

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you run? Yell? _Something_?" she recognized Paul's voice, and was surprised. "You just _stood_ there – are you crazy? Don't you know what he could have done? What he _would_ have done?"

"Yes," Dawn said in a small voice, blinking in the bright sunlight. They'd just left the Contest Hall.

"Are you just stupid, then?" Paul demanded. Dawn shook her head feebly, but he didn't see.

"I don't get you. You hate him. And you were just going to let him –"

"I was _scared!_" Dawn defended. "You don't know what it's like, having to live with how he hurt me every day. Of course I knew what could have happened, Paul, I'm not an idiot. But I didn't know what to do! He knows me better than anyone – knows how to scare me, how to make me do what he wants. You try getting in a situation like that – see how _you_ deal with it!"

"Just get in the car," Paul growled. Dawn did so, slamming the door with all her strength when she sat down. "And don't maim my car."

"Go to hell," Dawn spat. Paul said nothing as he turned the car on, or as he pulled out of the parking spot. Dawn was angry when he stayed silent as he drove through the small town towards the freeway. She wanted a fight, wanted to yell and rage and storm at somebody, but Paul wouldn't give her that satisfaction.

When the reached their building twenty minutes later, Dawn leaped out and stomped up to her apartment. She threw her bag and her carefully wrapped dress onto the bed and stormed into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower.

The steaming water calmed her. She stood, breathing in the scent, letting the water pound into her back. She washed the make-up off of her face, scrubbed the careful curls out of her hair. When she stood to let the water drain the soap from her hair, she heard something from the main room. It sounded vaguely familiar. She listened hard until she knew her hair was soap-free before turning the water off. She pulled a towel around herself and stepped out of the shower.

She still couldn't recognize the sound, exactly. She dried herself quickly and ran to the closet and pulled on a pair of pink sweatpants and a black tank top. She dropped the towel and opened her bedroom door.

Paul was sitting, his back to her, at the piano, playing a slow, sad song, his fingers dancing expertly across the keys. She stared in wonderment; she loved the piano, and had always wanted to learn to play, though she'd never succeeded. And here... Paul was certainly full of surprises, as if she didn't know that already. She walked cautiously to him, afraid he would stop if he knew she was listening.

She finally reached him, and he looked up from the keys at her, though he didn't stop playing. He tilted his head at the space beside him on the piano bench. She sat, watching his fingers.

They sat together, their content silence broken only by Paul's piano playing, for severa minutes.

"Her name was Diana," Paul offered. Dawn didn't look up; she knew who he meant. "I met her three years ago, in Emeragrove Town."

He fell silent, continuing the melancholy song.

"I stayed with her for a few months," Paul continued. "Four months, I think. Almost five. And she... Well... After that, I left."

"Why?" Dawn asked after a time, when it seemed clear he wasn't going to continue. He glanced at her.

"I was... afraid," Paul said, shame clear in his tone. "Afraid of her. Afraid... Well, afraid to love her. I left one night and never went back."

"Are you sorry?"

"Every day."

The song ended, and Paul dropped his hands into his lap, as though he didn't know what to do with them.

"I'm sorry," Dawn whispered sincerely. Paul nodded.

"I am, too."

Paul's fingers rose again to the keys, and he began a different song. This one, too, was slow and sad. Dawn listened for a few moments before the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Don't you know any happy songs?"

She gasped and covered her mouth, horrified that she'd just said that. Paul rolled his eyes, but he looked like he was almost smiling. His fingers darted across the keys as he transitioned into Mozart's _Turkish March_. "Does this qualify?"

"It does," Dawn smiled, staring up at him.

"Good."

She watched him play until he couldn't any more, and she laid a hand on his arm.

"It's okay," she mumbled. "We're both okay. And if... Well, maybe you should call Diana? See if you can make up with her?"

"No," Paul said flatly. "I can't."

They lapsed into a silence, both with a new understanding of the other trapped inside them.

- / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N: **Oh, shenanigans. It's been way too long. My excuse is that I moved to college and it's been crazy. Which I think is semi-valid. But yeah. I hope you like this chapter... It's kind of more ikarishipping-y. I kinda rushed through the Contest, because I didn't want to write three Contest battles, and it got late and I wanted to get through it. Sorry.

Thank you thank you thank you to all of my beloved reviewers – let my know what you think about this!

**Coming next... Plans for the wedding get under way, and Paul gets in touch with the Pokémon League.**


	14. Plans and a Meeting

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon.

- / - / - / -

It took both Paul and Dawn a few days to adjust to their new companionship. The night after Dawn's Contest, they spoke little. Dawn didn't make a very concentrated effort to talk to him; she didn't want to push him just yet. She mentioned the League call the night of her Contest before they went to sleep, causing Paul to curse them both for leaving it so long.

"I'm calling them in the morning."

"Suit yourself. It's only been what, two days?" Dawn mumbled sleepily.

"That's a long time to not return a call to the most powerful association in the world," Paul snapped. Dawn sighed heavily and turned over in the dark.

"G'night Paul," Dawn murmured, "Try to relax and just call them in the morning. They don't want anything bad, so just go to sleep. Worry about it in the morning."

Paul said nothing in return, merely rolled onto his side and felt Dawn's back settle against his own. He wondered briefly why it didn't bother him, feeling the girl against him, before drifting off to sleep.

He awoke in the morning facing the other direction. He opened his eyes and saw the girl facing away from him, her hair all over the place. If Paul was one to smile, he might have. Instead, he pushed himself out of bed, trying not to disturb the still-sleeping girl. He took a quick, hot shower, thinking of what he'd say to the League when he called. Realizing he still hadn't even listened to the message they'd left, he had very little to go on. Paul turned the water off and hastily dried off before hurrying to the closet to get dressed.

Paul yanked a pair of black jeans on over his boxers, struggling to pull the denim over his still-damp legs. He threw on a random shirt and padded barefoot into the living room. The phone the League had supposedly called on was mounted in the kitchen; he stared at the base for several minutes before figuring out how to listen to the message.

"You have two new messages," the automated voice trilled. Paul winced. "One saved massage. To listen to your messages, press one –"

Paul jammed the button to make the voice stop.

"First message. Sent yesterday at eleven twenty-four A.M."

"Hey, Dawn... It's me, Zoey... You said you needed a ride to the Contest, but that was before... Well, look, I'm sorry for what I said, okay? I'm sure you and Paul will be very happy. I shouldn't have assumed anything, and I shouldn't have said what I said... Forgive me? Please," the voice issued from the machine. Paul frowned. She hadn't mentioned a fight to him. "Oh, and Dawn? I'm sorry about what I said about the... Sex thing. Really. It's not my place. Call me back."

Paul narrowed his eyes and stared at their bedroom door. _What sex thing?_ He wondered.

"To erase this message, press seven. To save it, press nine. To mark this message as unread, press four."

Paul paused for a moment before pressing the number four on the keypad.

"Message marked as unread. Next message. Sent Tuesday, June twenty-second at nine thirty-seven A.M."

"Hello. My name is Aaron Hastings, and, as I'm sure you know, I am the Sinnoh Division President of the Pokémon League Association. We have begun to pay close attention to your training and your battles after your last battle with our Champion Cynthia, Paul, and we are quite impressed with the progress you've been making. It is quite evident to us that it will not be long before you have a true chance of defeating Cynthia. And as my personal vote of confidence, I would like to invite you and your lovely fianceé – I believe her name is Dawn, yes? – to a luncheon at the Sinnoh Division Pokémon League Headquarters. I would be honored if you and Dawn would join me at Lily of the Valley Island, several miles off the coast of Sunyshore City. All transportation will, of course, be arranged. Call me at this number when you've settled on a time to join me..."

The message trailed off with the man giving a number to call him at and wishing him well. Paul stared at the machine, and, at the prompting, replayed the message four times.

"Are you just gonna listen to that all day," yawned a voice from behind him, "or are you gonna call him back?"

Paul turned, Aaron Hastings' voice inviting him to lunch still playing, to face Dawn. She was sitting at the counter in her pajamas, hair disheveled, eating a bowl of cereal. He hadn't heard her make it.

"How long have you been in here?"

"I dunno. About five minutes, I'd guess. You're too busy fawning over that message to notice anything. Played it three times since I've been sitting here," Dawn shrugged, taking another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Are you gonna call him, or what? I mean, he's got a nice voice, but I don't fancy hearing him say the same thing over and over."

Paul rolled his eyes and pressed nine in the keypad to save the message. "You got a message from that girl, Zoey."

"Okay," Dawn yawned. Paul was irked; he'd wanted her to ask to hear it then, so he could ask what Zoey had meant by 'the sex thing.' "So, when're you gonna make the lunch?"

"For tomorrow," Paul said decisively.

"Don't you think you should ask if that works with my schedule?" Dawn asked idly, stirring her cereal.

"Why would I do that?"

"I believe he asked 'your lovely fianceé' to join you. I can only assume he means me."

"So?"

"They want us both there," Dawn said, as though it were obvious.

"Yeah, so?"

"Arceus, Paul, do I have to spell it out for you? They want me there because of their stupid 'the Champion has to be married' policy," Dawn snorted. "So I have to go. Then it'll be smooth sailing for you."

Paul said nothing. She was clearly right. Dawn, however, seemed to misinterpret his silence.

"I'll stay quiet and out of the way, don't worry," Dawn said quietly, returning to her cereal. Paul glanced at her.

"You...," Paul began, unsure of what to say. She didn't look up. "You don't have to."

"You should call him back, Paul," Dawn murmured. "Don't want to keep him waiting. Tomorrow's fine, by the way."

Paul turned back to the phone, feeling strange. He wasn't used to this weird feeling. He didn't like it, much. Paul snatched up the hands-free phone and dialed the number Aaron Hastings had given him. It rang three times before a voice answered.

"Pokémon League Sinnoh Division, Aaron Hastings' office," a polite female voice answered. "This is Carolyn, how may I help you?"

"Hello, miss. My name is Paul. I received a call from Mr. Hastings a few days ago about a meeting –"

"Ah yes, hello, sir!" Carolyn said, her demeanor changing from polite and professional to warm and familiar at the speed of light. Paul was slightly taken aback. "Mr. Hastings has been expecting your call. I'll patch you through, one moment please."

Paul was kept waiting for less than twenty seconds before being greeted by Aaron Hastings' now familiar voice.

"Paul! I was beginning to worry you hadn't gotten my message," he said jovially.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Hastings. It has –" Paul began dutifully.

"Please, Paul, call me Aaron. There's too much formality here. Besides, I'm sure it won't be long before you're the Champion, son, so you should get used to calling me by my first name!"

Paul raised his eyebrows. This man was extremely confident in Paul's abilities, considering they'd never met.

"Alright, Aaron, then. I've been extremely busy – what with moving in, getting settled, and Dawn's Contest yesterday," Paul explained.

"Ah yes, your lovely fianceé!" Aaron exclaimed. Paul's eyebrows rose further, and were in danger of being swallowed by his hair.

"Yes... Well, that's why I've only just been able to return your call, sir. I'm sorry."

"No worries, Paul, no worries. Now, the pressing matter... When will you come to Headquarters to meet me? I really must insist that you and Dawn join me for lunch," Aaron said. "The sooner, the better."

"Is tomorrow too short of notice?" Paul asked, somehow guessing he could have asked for lunch today and Aaron would have complied.

"Not at all," Aaron said airily. "We shall arrange it all – a car will pick you and Dawn up at your flat at about eleven thirty tomorrow. That should get you here by about one, which will be perfect for a late lunch, no?"

"That.. Uh, that sounds great," Paul said, surprised that the man already had a schedule. "You really don't need to send a car, sir, I've got –"

"Nonsense. This is my treat. So, I will be meeting the two of you tomorrow at about one?"

"I – yes, sir, you will."

"It's _Aaron_, Paul. I will be waiting to meet you at the docks tomorrow."

"Alright," Paul said as Aaron hung up. He blinked several times.

"So, tomorrow?"

Dawn's voice jolted him back to the present. "You were listening?" he accused.

"You were standing right in front of me," Dawn pointed out, her tone questioning Paul's sanity. Paul narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. Tomorrow, at eleven thirty."

"Okay," Dawn sighed in resignation. Paul glanced at her, but said nothing.

"I need to go and train," Paul said unnecessarily. Dawn shrugged.

"You should let your Pokémon rest, you know."

"They can rest tomorrow."

"Fine... But don't come crying to me when you've run them into the ground and you can't battle Cynthia."

Paul snorted his laughter, and Dawn flounced into the bedroom, presumably to shower and change. He made a quick, inept sandwich and forced it down before snatching his bag with his Pokéballs and shoving his feet into a pair of shoes he'd left by the door yesterday.

He left the apartment quickly and made his way to his favorite training grove. He was fairly sure he'd be adding both Froslass and Magmortar to his team today. His team of Torterra, Electivire, Ursaring, and Drapion was strong already. When he was on form, Magmortar was very reliable and wouldn't disappoint him. And Froslass gave him the element of surprise Paul loved.

Pleased that he could almost begin his Champion training, Paul released his Pokémon, prepared to finish the screening process.

- / - / - / -

Dawn took an uncharacteristically short shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a high-necked white short-sleeved shirt. She wanted to be comfortable today – she was planning a particularly odious task.

She slouched over to the videophone feeling hard-done-by and called May's house. May's little brother Max answered the phone.

"Oh, hi, Dawn," Max said unenthusiastically.

"Hey, Maxie. Didn't think you'd be home."

"Don't call me that," Max whined. Dawn laughed. She could always put the kid at ease.

"Well, why're you at home? I'd've thought a hotshot new trainer like you would be out scoring big."

"Who talks like that?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"I'm not," Max protested. "I'm home for a few days, training. I'm challenging the Petalburg Gym Leader next week."

"Also known as your dad?" Dawn said, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

"Sounds less official."

"Okay. Whatever. Go wake up your sister for me, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Dawn."

"Thanks."

Dawn waited, picking her nails. She was waiting for the telltale shriek of fury that would signify that Max had successfully (and, most likely, rather rudely) woken up his sister. She wasn't kept waiting long.

"WHAT THE HELL, MAX?" May screamed. Dawn heard Max cackle and then something heavy hit the wall.

"Phone for you, May!" Max yelled as he sprinted past the videophone. Dawn was laughing when May stomped to the screen, soaking wet and looking ready to kill.

"Morning sunshine," Dawn choked out. Max had evidently dumped a large bucket of water on May's head to wake her up. May glared.

"This is _your_ fault."

"I didn't tell him to do that," Dawn protested feebly.

"What do you want?"

"Help," Dawn said sincerely. "I need to start planning this... thing."

"What thing? Don't be sneaky now, I just woke up and I'm angry and not in the mood for your games," May grumbled.

"The wedding," Dawn grimaced. May rolled her eyes.

"You're such a drama queen. You don't have to marry him."

"Do too," Dawn mumbled. May didn't question her.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Be my maid of honor?"

May stared at her.

"Yes! Yay! Dawn, I never thought you'd ask!" May squealed in delight, wet clothes forgotten. Dawn raised her eyebrows, annoyed. "Oh, shut up, Dawn, I'm excited! I'm the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding!"

"Fake wedding."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Dawn."

"I can do what I want, it's my wedding."

"Your fake wedding."

"Whatever."

"Double standards much?"

"Whatever!" Dawn snapped. "But yes, May, please be my maid of honor."

"Done," May said quickly. "We need to start planning!"

"Duh. Why do you think I called?" Dawn groaned.

"Shut up," May said again. "Okay, so when're you getting married?"

"I dunno," Dawn said listlessly. "When should it be?"

"God, Dawn, you're hopeless. I know you'd be obsessing if it was a real wedding."

Dawn folded her arms and made a face at her friend, thinking.

"You know, what, May? It _is_ a real wedding," Dawn said, realization hitting her. She sat for a moment. "I think... You know, May, this is the only wedding I'm ever going to have. It's going to be amazing. This wedding is going to be the talk of the century. I've been looking at this in completely the wrong way."

May said nothing, but smiled at her.

"Okay. I need at least a year and a half to plan a good wedding. And I need a while to find the perfect dress, obviously. There's nowhere here that'll have a big enough selection of dresses –"

"There's a place in Saffron City called Kleinfeld's," May interrupted. "They have a selection of over one hundred and thirty-seven _thousand_ dresses."

"Oh, wow... We need to go there...," Dawn said dreamily. He mind was now hundreds of miles away, at the dress shop in Saffron City.

"Snap out of it. We can't go there yet."

"Oh, I know. So... Let's make the date next January. January... Thirteenth, shall we say?" Dawn proposed.

"Shouldn't you ask the _groom?_" May asked, laughing.

"Yeah, like he's got plans."

"You should ask, anyways."

"Fine," Dawn said, sticking her tongue out at May. She snatched up her Pokégear and dialed Paul's number. He answered on the third ring.

"Hi," Paul said. "What is it?"

Dawn smiled. He sounded so... _nice._ He'd never answered the phone like that before.

"Hey! I'm busy, what is it?" Paul snapped. Dawn frowned. _That was more like it_.

"Hi. I'm getting started on plans for our wedding."

"Oh."

"I have a possible date. January thirteenth?" Dawn proposed. "Does that work?"

"It's only in six months... Sure. Don't see why not."

Dawn laughed. "Paul – _next_ January the thirteenth. As in, in eighteen months."

"That's crazy!"

"Weddings take a long time to plan."

"No, that's ridiculous. You don't need a year and a half to plan _our_ wedding." Dawn didn't need to see his face to know he meant because their wedding was a farce.

"Yes, I do," Dawn insisted. "It's going to be beautiful."

"Oh, for Arceus' sake."

"Fine. I need a year, at least, then."

"February," Paul shot back.

"Not a chance. Not before next July," Dawn said, shaking her head.

"No way. March, then."

"Hell no!" Dawn exclaimed. "June, best I'll give you."

"Come _on,_ nine months is plenty of time!"

"Fine, then. May."

"What?" May said, assuming Dawn was talking to her. Dawn shook her head and mouthed _'the month'_ at her friend.

"No way. Eleven months?"

"It's practically July already. That's only ten months."

"I guess that's the best we'll get."

"Yes!"

"What day?"

"Oh, I dunno. How about... the thirtieth?"

"No dice, kid. That's pushing it almost into June."

"Fine, then, how about the twenty-first?"

Paul was quiet for a long moment.

"_Fine,_" Paul huffed. "May twenty-first."

"Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Paul."

"It had better be a damn nice wedding," Paul warned her. Dawn laughed and promised him it would be a _fantastic_ wedding. She could hear him rolling his eyes as he told her he'd be home by seven and hung up.

"Well that went nicely," May smiled. "May twenty-first. Lovely month."

"Narcissist."

"Yep," May grinned. "So, I'm your maid of honor. Bridesmaids?"

"Umm," Dawn tapped her chin, thinking. "Zoey, of course. And Leona. Shit, I still have to tell her about me and Paul. She just got back from that stupid exploration thing she was doing. She'll be so mad that I didn't tell her sooner."

"Well, everyone was."

Dawn pulled a pad of paper from beside her videophone, making a mental note to call Leona. She flipped through to an empty page and snatched a black pen off the desk. She began to take notes on her and May's conversation.

"I'm not really that close to Misty," Dawn mused. "But I know she'd be insulted if I didn't ask her."

"She wouldn't be that much. But Ash and Brock would be."

"Arceus forbid," Dawn giggled. It had always been a soft spot for the boys that May and Dawn were really good friends and that Misty was somewhat left out of their friendship. It wasn't that they didn't like her – but she had just never fit in with them. They didn't have much in common.

"Well, we should really get closer to Misty," May said. "She's a really nice girl. Really."

"Oh, I know that."

"So, Misty too?"

"Well, I'll ask," Dawn said doubtfully. "Four is more than enough. Besides, I have to pick a color that will work with all of you..."

"Not pink," May said absently. "It clashes with Zoey and Misty's hair."

"I know... I'm thinking dark blue? Like, royal blue?"

"That sounds pretty."

The girls continued the planning for several hours. At the end of their conversation, May was dialing the number at Kleinfeld's to make Dawn an appointment for as soon as possible, and Dawn was planning to call Zoey, Misty and Leona.

- / - / - / -

Dawn's call to Zoey was very short. She forgave Zoey's harsh words and asked her to be one of her bridesmaids.

"Oh, Dawn! I would love to!"

"Good. The wedding is going to be May twenty-first."

"That's in a long time," Zoey stated.

"No it isn't! It's barely any time at all, Zo," Dawn corrected. Zoey laughed.

"Right, I forgot that _you're_ planning the wedding. We're just lucky it's not in three years, aren't we?"

"No. I was trying to make it in eighteen months, but Paul wanted it sooner," Dawn grumbled.

"Well, that's sweet, Dawn," Zoey said soothingly. "He wants the two of you to be married sooner."

"Yeah," Dawn said absently. "Well, I'll text you when I talk to May again – she's getting me a reservation at a dress shop in Kanto. Gotta get that wedding dress pronto – it is the most important part of the wedding, after all. I'll let you know when it is, I want you to come."

"I doubt anyone else thinks the dress is most important. But I digress. Thanks, Dawn. I can't wait."

Dawn hung up and crossed 'Call Zoey' off of her Wedding List, as she and May had come to call it. She'd call Leona later that night. The call to Misty would be more awkward, so she wanted to get that out of the way as soon as possible. Dawn began scrolling through her contact list, trying to find the number for the Cerulean City Gym. She'd just found it when her videophone began to ring again.

"Oh, hey, May."

"So! Hope you're free this weekend, chick-a-dee, I got you a dress appointment for _Friday!"_ May squealed.

"No way! May, that's fantastic! I thought it wouldn't be for a few months!" Dawn grinned at her friend.

"I know. But I said who the wedding was for and they somehow found an opening at one thirty P.M. on Friday," May said slyly. Dawn shook her head. "What, Dawn? If you're famous, you've got strings you can pull! Use it when you can."

"This is great. D'you think you can get us there?"

"Already ahead of you," May grinned. "I looked up cruises to Kanto. There are three rooms left. One for you and your mom, one for me, one for Zoey and Leona!"

"Well, I'll have to talk to my mom and Lee still. I think Zoey'll have no problem," Dawn mused. "How much?"

"Not bad. We can all handle it. There're no last-minute fees for this cruise. It leaves Canalave City Wednesday night, gets us to Kanto – Vermillion City, that is – Friday morning."

"Excellent. Well, book the rooms. Arceus, I can't believe we're doing this!"

"I know. Okay – the cruise is booked!"

"Awesome. I'll call my mom, Misty, and Leona."

"Later. Let me know."

"Always."

Dawn hung up and quickly texted Zoey, as she'd promised.

_Hey ZoZo. Pack your bags, girl, we're going on a cruise to Kanto!_

She waited for Zoey's reply, knowing it would be quick.

_Wow, that's fast. When?_

Dawn smiled and typed a quick response.

_We leave Wednesday, get there Friday. We'll get a flight back on Sunday, probably. Cruise is already booked so don't you worry your pretty little head about anything._

She returned to her search of the Cerulean City Gym. Dawn decided a videophone call would be more apropos for this kind of request.

_You're lucky I'm free. Can't wait, Dawn._

Dawn dialed the Gym's number into the videophone console and waited for someone to answer. She waited for about a minute before someone picked up. A pretty girl with short pink hair answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi – you're Lily, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Dawn, a friend of Misty's –"

Lily turned and walked away from the screen and called "Miiiiiiiisty! Phone for you."

Dawn raised her eyebrows.

"Lily, you can't just walk away from the videophone like that!" Misty snarled at her sister before she appeared on the screen. She looked surprised. "Oh. Hey, Dawn, what's up?"

"Hi... I have a – I suppose you'd call it a request – for you," Dawn began. Misty laughed once.

"Okay."

"Well, I'm sure Ash told you I'm getting married –"

"Yeah, to his rival."

Misty's tone left no doubt in Dawn's mind whose side she was on. Dawn exhaled and carried on.

"Okay. Yeah, to his rival. But I was wondering... Misty, would you be one of my bridesmaids?"

Misty blinked at her. "But, we're not friends," she said baldly. Dawn shrugged.

"We could be."

"Well... I guess, if you want," Misty said uncertainly. Dawn beamed at her.

"Great! So, what're you doing this weekend?"

"Working at the Gym. Like always."

"Well, can you take a break? May, Leona, Zoey and I are coming to Saffron City to look at wedding gowns. D'you think you could join us?"

"Sure," Misty agreed. "Just tell me the time and place."

Dawn explained their travel plans, the name of the dress store and the time of their appointment.

"Well, I'll pick you up in Vermillion – we can go together, okay?"

"That sounds great, thanks, Misty."

Dawn hung up, breathing a sigh of relief. It could have gone much worse. She immediately dialed another number, one that she knew by heart.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom!" Dawn grinned at her mom.

"Hi, sweetheart! How are you?" Johanna asked.

"Oh, I'm alright," Dawn mumbled, slumping her shoulders and looking dejected.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I just... What're you doing next weekend?" Dawn asked sadly, keeping up the act.

"Nothing, dear. Why? Do you need to come over? Are you and Paul fighting?"

"Oh, no... Nothing like that...," Dawn said, trying not to laugh. "But... I was wondering, d'you think you can come to Kanto with me and a few friends?"

"Why?"

"Oh... Well, just because I don't want to try on wedding dresses without my mom there!" Dawn squealed.

"Oh, Dawn! Paul proposed!" Johanna gushed.

"Yeah! And May, Zoey, Misty, hopefully Leona, and I are going to Saffron City to try on dresses next weekend!" Dawn said, grinning. "I really want you to come, mom. I can't get a dress without you."

"Oh, Dawn, honey, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Dawn beamed and explained the travel plans to her mother, who shook her head at the ostentatiousness of the plan. She agreed to go, and she and Dawn hung up soon after.

- / - / - / -

Paul dropped his Pokémon off at the Pokémon Center, sure that he had his Champion's team completely squared away.

He walked back to the apartment earlier than he planned. It was quarter of seven – about when he said he'd be back. Odd. He was usually really late.

Paul trudged up the stairs and pushed the door to the apartment open to see Dawn sashaying around the kitchen, talking loudly on her Pokégear to someone.

"I know, Lee, I know. Leona! Grow up, I couldn't have told you, you've been out in Arceus-knows-where for a year now, I couldn't have told you squat. So let it go and be one of my bridesmaids, okay?"

Paul rolled his eyes and went to change. He pulled on a pair or holey sweatpants and an old T-shirt. When he emerged, Dawn was off the phone. She was poking at something in a frying pan on the stove. Paul went to the kitchen and looked over her shoulder. A greenish-brown clump was sitting in the frying pan.

"What is that supposed to be?" Paul asked, wrinkling his nose.

He'd forgotten how close he was to her. She jumped slightly at hearing his voice right in her ear. Paul noticed this, but didn't move away.

"It's a frittata," Dawn said with finality. She dug her elbow into his ribs, and he hissed and stepped back.

"It _was_ a frittata," Paul muttered.

"I heard that. You can set the table," Dawn called to him. Paul coughed out a laugh and obliged.

"So," Dawn began. "I won't be here next weekend."

"Okay."

"Don't you _care_ where I'll be?"

"Sure. Where will you be?"

"In Kanto," Dawn said promptly. "With my friends and my mom. Trying on wedding dresses."

"Oh. Okay."

"That's it?"

"I guess."

"Do you want to come?" Dawn asked challengingly, expecting him to say no, he'd rather spend the weekend alone.

"Thought it was bad luck to see the bride in the dress before the wedding."

Dawn blinked in surprise. "It is."

"So, I can't go."

"Not to the store, no," Dawn conceded. "But we'll be in Saffron the whole weekend. Just hanging out. You're – uh – welcome to join us, if you want."

"There are lots of talented trainers in the Saffron area," Paul said musingly. "I'll think about it."

"Okay. Let me know soon, though."

Only a few minutes later, the two were seated opposite one another, with a bit of Dawn's frittata on each of their plates. Paul poked at it dubiously.

"You'd better eat that," Dawn said, brandishing her fork at him. He scoffed, but consented to try a bite. "Yeah, and if it doesn't kill you, you'll finish it."

- / - / - / -

Dawn set the alarm for the first time in months. She and Paul were shocked awake by a loud blaring at seven fifteen. Paul groaned and rolled over.

"Why did you set it for so early?" he groaned, covering his head with the sheets. "We aren't leaving until eleven."

"I need to get ready," Dawn grumbled, just as irritated as Paul at the unwelcome awakening.

"You don't need _four_ hours."

"I do too," Dawn moaned as she got up. "Shut up and go back to sleep."

"I plan to."

Dawn stumbled to the bathroom and turned water on to take a hot bath. She dumped copious amounts of bubbles in the water and waited for it to fill up. While she waited, she splashed cold water from the sink on her face in a vain effort to wake herself up. After five or so minutes, she turned the tap off and sunk into the hot bathtub. For several minutes, she simply lay there, reveling in the feeling of the bubble bath.

After a time, she remembered that she has wanted to take a bath so that she could leisurely shave her legs. She spent thirty minutes on each leg, making sure she didn't miss a single hair.

She'd taken a shower the night before, just after dinner. She wouldn't have to worry about washing her hair just now. She intended to straighten it to make herself look slightly more intimidating. Her hair curled was cute, but she wanted to look powerful. Not to threaten the League or anything like that – she knew she had no power with them. But she'd feel more confident when they spoke to her if she felt she looked more intimidating.

Paul knocked on the bathroom door two hours later, informing her that he thought she'd drowned, and wouldn't she please mind making a sound if she was alive so he could enter the bathroom without walking in on a dead girl? Dawn laughed and told him to get away, and that she'd be out in just a minute. True to her word, she emerged in barely a minute, wrapped in a towel that barely covered everything. She sauntered past him into the closet to pick out her outfit.

"Don't be long. I still need to do my hair."

- / - / - / -

An hour and forty-five minutes later, Dawn and Paul were ready to go. Paul was wearing black pants and a black button-down shirt. He had a bright green tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"You look dashing," Dawn had proclaimed when he exited the closet. He'd given her a funny look and his lips had twitched. She had varied her outfit choice based on his tie. She had been planning to wear a very short ice-blue dress; but she opted instead for a poisonous green dress that fell a few inches above her knees. It was low-cut with twisted straps. Dawn added a glittering black brooch to the center, under her bust. She paired it with a small black shoulder bag and four-inch black stilettos.

Paul had cleared his throat when she walked out to meet him, but said nothing. She knew better now that to be offended. His speechlessness was enough.

"Shall we go down?" Dawn suggested. Paul nodded tightly. "You know, you don't need to be this nervous."

"Yeah I do," Paul said tersely. Dawn shook her head, but said nothing.

The hour-long ride to Sunyshore port was a quiet one. Dawn was whispering words of encouragement at the beginning, but those just seemed to annoy Paul, so she'd desisted. The ferry from Sunyshore to Lily of the Valley Island took about forty-five minutes. Before they disembarked, Dawn squeezed Paul's hand. He looked at her, and she smiled slightly.

"It'll be fine," she murmured. Paul said nothing, but he appreciated the gesture. He didn't let go of her hand as they walked down the gangplank to meet the small group of people assembled on the docks to greet them.

"Paul!"

A young man with dark brown hair hair approached him first. He was wearing a black suit with a bright pink tie. Paul placed the man's age at most five years older than himself. They shook hands.

"Aaron, Aaron Hastings," Aaron said, his hand clutching Paul's in a death grip. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Paul."

"Yes, sir, it's a pleasure to meet you, too. This is –"

"Ahh, of course," Aaron said, releasing Paul's hand. He bent to brush Dawn's fingertips with his lips. Paul narrowed his eyes is dislike. "Your beautiful fianceé, Dawn! __Enchantée,__ Dawn."

Dawn smiled at him. Paul watched her face closely; he fancied to think that her smile was forced, and that she disliked him as much as Paul was beginning to.

"It was ever so kind of you to have me join your meeting with Paul," Dawn said sleekly. Paul smirked. She didn't like him, either.

"Not at all, dear, I'm honored to have you here on my island. I never pass up a chance to invite a pretty girl here."

"Aren't you sweet," Dawn cooed. Paul's hands were balled into fists. He was vaguely aware of Aaron introducing them to the rest of his entourage, but didn't take any of it in.

"Now, shall we go for a tour?"

Paul stood rooted to the spot, and Aaron probably would have noticed had Dawn not pulled him along. He obeyed the pressure of her hand unthinkingly. After several moments, they left the dock and Paul came to. Aaron was gesturing at the carefully manicured lawns and flower beds, and Dawn was making sounds of appreciation.

"But, Paul, I'm sure you're not interested in flowers," Aaron laughed. "You're pretty single-minded about battling, aren't you?"

"Yes," Paul answered shortly. Dawn pinched him. He glanced at her, and was surprised to see her trying to conceal laughter.

"So, I guess you'd like to see the battle pitches available to the Champion and the Elite Four?"

"Of course," Paul replied, mystified by Dawn's antics. "It would be an honor."

"After lunch then?" Aaron suggested. "And I'm sure we can find someone to entertain the lovely Dawn while I show you the arenas."

"I'm sure Dawn would be delighted to see the battlefields," Paul said flatly. "She's a trainer as well."

Dawn's eyes widened.

"Ahem, yes," Aaron said uncomfortably. "I'm sure she is an excellent trainer, but that was more a clever ruse. I wanted to speak to you alone, Paul."

Dawn rolled her eyes. Like hell you do. You need one of your minions to corner me.

Paul said nothing. He spoke very little throughout the luncheon, with Dawn and Aaron carrying most of the conversation. As the afternoon progressed, he became quieter and more sullen. After lunch, Aaron looked quite displeased at the necessity to leave Dawn's company in exchange for that of Paul.

"We'll be back to you before you know it, Dawn," Aaron said warmly. Paul's face was stormy, but unreadable, as he left with the League President.

"Miss Dawn," a young lady with heavy dark blonde hair approached her the moment Paul and Aaron had left. "May I show you around the Champion's quarters?"

"Isn't that a bit presumptuous?" Dawn asked. She stood anyway, resigning herself to the conversation.

"Oh, no. Aaron – excuse me, Mr. Hastings – has a great deal of faith in Paul," the woman laughed. Dawn wrinkled her nose and followed the girl out of the dining hall.

"What's your name?"

"Oh," the woman trilled her little laugh again and Dawn grimaced. "My name is Carolyn. I'm so sorry, I should have said."

Dawn followed her in silence, answering Carolyn's mindless questions with equally mindless answers.

"So, the Champion's quarters are through here," Carolyn said, pointing at a pair of oak double doors. "Unfortunately, I cannot show you inside. It would be an invasion of Lady Cynthia's privacy."

"So you walked me all this way to say that?" Dawn snorted. Carolyn shook her head, looking uncomfortable.

"I don't know how to say this delicately... Well, we know about you."

"You know about me? I believe the proper phrasing would be that _I_ know about _you_," Dawn laughed loudly. "Yes, I know about the twisted corruption of _the League_," Dawn said, as though the words 'the League' left a bad taste on her tongue. "Don't worry, Carolyn. I won't tell Paul. I care enough about his career. I care that he has the chance to become Champion. He will get that chance, Carolyn. We understand each other, don't we?"

Dawn smiled angelically at the girl. _And to think, I promised myself I wouldn't threaten the League,_ she thought._ Though this girl hardly counts._

"I, uh – yes – um," Carolyn mumbled incoherently. "We – uh – we thought that the way he – Paul – was acting today..."

"That he knew something?" Dawn let out a tinkling laugh that could match Carolyn's in level of annoyance. "Clearly, you haven't done your research. That's how Paul is. He isn't hiding anything from you."

"Well... Um... We can't have you telling him," Carolyn said. She sounded as though she was trying to sound firm.

"I don't plan to, as I've said," Dawn said icily. "I also don't plan to stand here with you, Carolyn, and discuss this any longer. I've told you I'll keep my silence. I'm sure you're recording this, so I'll extend this directly to you, Aaron – I don't plan to tell Paul anything. You have spent time with me today, and I do hope I made an impression on you. I will keep my word. And Paul _will_ become Champion. I won't jeopardize that with something as trivial as this."

"Now, Carolyn. I believe my fianceé will be waiting for me back in the lunch hall. I wouldn't like to keep him waiting and need to tell him where I was, would I?"

- / - / - / -

Dawn and Paul left Lily of the Valley Island not much later. After a few hasty excuses, Aaron walked the couple back to the dock. He shook hands with a stony-faced Paul and embraced Dawn. He didn't notice how Paul's eyes tightened at this.

"Well, I'll be in contact with you both," Aaron said, beaming. "It was good to meet you, Paul – and you, lovely Dawn."

Dawn smiled and pulled Paul's arm towards the gangplank on the ferry.

"It was lovely to meet you, Aaron," Dawn called as they left. "I do hope to see you again soon – when Paul is crowned Champion!"

No one but Aaron understood the dual meaning to her words. He smiled coyly at her.

"That is the hope, isn't it?"

- / - / - / -

"Paul, what is the matter with you?" Dawn sighed. She'd endured Paul's tetchy mood for the entire ferry ride and half the car ride home. "You've been like this since we got to Lily of the Valley Island. What happened?"

"I don't like him," Paul answered moodily.

"Well, neither do I, but you didn't see me showing it to the whole world, did you?"

"You didn't like him?" Paul asked flatly.

"Of course not, Paul. He's a smarmy asshole – he's completely transparent," Dawn said patiently. "But I thought your plan today was impressing them?"

"Well, I'm sure you made enough of an impression on Mister Hastings today," Paul snarled. Dawn frowned.

"That's not funny, Paul."

"Isn't it? Won't this be jolly – the Champion's wife having an affair with the President of the Pokémon League," Paul spat.

Dawn punched him in the arm as hard as she could.

"What the hell?"

"Don't screw with me, Paul. I didn't like him at all, and if you didn't spend the whole day with your head up your ass, you would have seen that," Dawn snapped. "If you haven't noticed yet, I rather like you. So stop being such a whiny little girl and _grow up_."

- / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: I can't even tell you how many times in the chapter I wrote 'Ministry' instead of 'League.' Too much Harry Potter in my life (no such thing). Not enough Pokémon. Or homework. Whoops. Oh, and I don't own Kleinfeld's. (thanks PorcelainDollxx for catching the mistake!) GOD I wish I did. Other dominating factor in my life, the TV show Say Yes to the Dress.

Thanks again to all of my lovely reviewers – you're fantabulistical and I love you all!

**Up next... Wedding dress shopping and a night of dancing...**

**WARNING:** this story is NOT going to stay as PG as it is now. It will get rather _un_-PG, if you get my drift. Rather a lot more _not_ PG. As in much more explicit. I probably should have mentioned earlier, but better late than never.


	15. Chained to You

Paul's sullenness persisted for several days. Dawn gave up on him as a bad job by Sunday afternoon, and began counting the hours to Wednesday morning. She spent several hours a day on the phone with May, figuring out the logistics of where they were going to stay while in Kanto and when they would be coming back and where they were going to eat and whatever else they could think of.

"Did Paul tell you if he's coming, yet?" May asked late Tuesday morning. Dawn had told her friend she'd inadvertently invited him on their trip. "I got three rooms. That's six people, so he can come if he wants."

"No, he hasn't," Dawn grumbled. "And I don't think I want him to. He's been horrible since Saturday."

"Wasn't that your meeting with the League?"

"His. _His_ meeting."

"Technicality."

"Yeah, it was," Dawn answered, stretching out on the couch. "He hasn't even talked to me since then. I dunno what I did wrong. I was polite, I didn't give anything away. If anything, if the League's mad at him it's his own damn fault. He acted like a petulant child that was put in time-out the whole day."

"Didn't you say the director guy was hitting on you?" May said slyly. "Maybe he's jealous."

"Yeah, right. Paul couldn't care less if Wallace himself was making a move on me," Dawn said dully. "It's not that. I dunno what his problem is."

"Dawn, you're a pretty girl," May said logically. "Paul would have to be an idiot to not notice that – and not want to take advantage of it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn said indignantly.

"That came out wrong. I mean, he's not going to resist your charm forever," May amended. Dawn chuckled darkly.

"Yeah, he will."

"Fine, be Miss Negativity. But he's good-looking, you're good-looking. You're getting married, for Arceus' sake," May pointed out. "It's just a matter of time. Time and the right set of circumstances."

"Whatever, crazy. It'll never happen."

"Well, he needs to decide by tonight if he's coming."

Dawn hung up and curled up on the couch. They had a flight back planned for Sunday afternoon. She needed to pack for two days on a boat, a flight, a day in Saffron. Plus, she and her friends were going to go to a club in Saffron that Misty's sisters had designed. So she'd need dancing attire as well... And, of course, things to wear for a day of trying on wedding dresses. Dawn smiled to herself. She loved trying on dresses – and she'd been looking forward to this since she was little. A fairytale dress to go with the fairytale love story. _Well_, she frowned, _it's not exactly the storybook love affair I always wanted. But I'm getting the perfect dress if it kills me._

She hauled herself off the couch and went to her room to pack. Dawn knew she wouldn't bring the dress back with her – it would need to be altered there – so she wouldn't need to account for a gigantic wedding dress when she picked the bags she would be packing.

Dawn skipped to the stereo and turned the volume up as loud as it would go.

- / - / - / -

Paul returned to the apartment at about one thirty that Tuesday afternoon. Loud music was blasting from the bedroom. The door was ajar, and he could hear Dawn singing loudly to the song that was playing.

_And when you looked into my eyes, I felt a sudden sense of urgency_

_Fascination cast a spell and you became more than just a mystery_

_and I think about you all the time_

_Is this fate, is this my destiny?_

Paul pushed the door open and saw a suitcase open on the bed, clothes flung unceremoniously into it, more littering the floor. He frowned, confused. _Why is she packing?_

He looked around the door, and say Dawn shoving dresses out of the way on hangers, appraising and rejecting each one.

"What are you doing?" Paul asked, bewildered. Dawn spared him a glance before going back to ravaging the closet.

_Passion, desire so intense_

_I can't take anymore, because_

_I feel the magic all around you_

_It's bringing me to my knees, just like I wanna be_

_I've gotta be chained to you_

"What are you doing?" Paul repeated, louder this time.

"Finally talking to me again, are we?" Dawn yelled over the music. Paul frowned and turned down the music.

"I wasn't not talking to you," Paul protested. "I just wasn't... talking to you."

"Well, that's a relief," Dawn mocked. "Turn my music back on."

"Where are you going?" Paul asked, gesturing at the colossal suitcase on the bed.

"I'm leaving you," Dawn said frankly, turning back to the dresses. Paul stared at her.

"You're... What?" he said stupidly.

"Ha. That was funny," Dawn snorted. "You know as well as I do that I can't leave you, stupid."

"That wasn't funny," Paul disagreed, folding his arms. Dawn rolled her eyes. "And you could leave, easy. No one's stopping you."

"No, I can't," Dawn sighed. She turned to face him. "But whatever. I've made my peace with it. I'm marrying your dumb ass, and that's that."

"Okay."

"No, in all seriousness, Paul? I'm actually okay with this, so long as you treat me like I'm a human that's worthy of respect, or at the very least civil treatment. Which I am. And for the most part, you've succeeded. And I mean what I said when we were leaving Lily of the Valley Island. You're getting to be.. more than tolerable – last few days notwithstanding – so this isn't the end of the world."

Paul cocked his head, processing what she'd said. Dawn watched him, wishing she could read his mind to know what he was thinking.

"Okay," Paul said finally. "I can't honestly say I'd do the same for you, though."

Dawn snorted. "One of the many things I like about you. Your sweet way of putting things. It warms my heart."

"I know, I'm a charmer. Really though, why are you packing?"

"I told you, I'm going to Kanto to get a wedding dress. I'll be back on Sunday. That's hardly enough time for you to starve yourself because you never learned to cook, so don't worry."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I _can_ cook," Paul said idly. "And I thought I was invited on this trip."

"Yeah, but I never thought you'd actually want to go."

"Well, it's your lucky day. And the lucky day of whoever you're traveling with," Paul amended. "When do we leave?"

"You're not serious, are you?" Dawn asked, frowning at him.

"Sure. I'm sick of being cooped up in this tiny apartment."

"Don't be an ass."

"Whatever."

"Well... Okay, then. We're leaving at six sharp tomorrow morning," Dawn shrugged. "Are you sure you want to? It's a five-day trip. That's a lot of... acting."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Paul said promptly. Dawn's mouth fell open in shock. Paul saw her looking and caught himself. He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm a terrific actor, proven by our lunch with your mother. And, like you said – you rather like me, so it won't even be acting for you, will it?"

Paul ducked out of the way of the coat hanger Dawn chucked at him. "Don't press your luck, buddy. Saying you're tolerable and saying I like you are different, last I checked. And I'd get packing, were I you."

"Why? I'm not you, I don't need to appraise my entire wardrobe for less than a week. It'll take me five minutes to pack."

"That sounds like a challenge to me."

"It could be," Paul said. "What's the prize?"

"Well, I'd offer you my body, but I don't think you'd take that bait," Dawn mused. Paul raised his eyebrows.

"You sure about that?"

"I – uh – yeah, I'm sure," Dawn said, whipping around to hide the flush creeping up her face.

"Fine. If – and when – I do it, you can't force me to spend every second of this trip with you and your annoying friends."

"Good, we don't want you anyways," Dawn stuck her tongue out at him. "If you can't do it, you have to cater to my every whim on the trip – that includes putting on my suntan lotion, y'know."

"Oh, the horror."

"Time's a-tickin', mister."

- / - / - / -

The alarm blared loud at five thirty in the morning, and Dawn sprang out of bed.

"Ugh, why are you so _awake_?" Paul groaned as he shoved his head under his pillow. Dawn rolled her eyes and didn't bother answering – she was always energetic waking up for a trip. She skipped to the bathroom to take a shower.

Twenty minutes later, Dawn chucked a shoe at Paul – who was still curled under the blankets in bed – and screeched that if he didn't get up in two minutes, he was going to be left here. Paul rolled out of bed, not bothering to keep his curses to himself, and trudged to the closet to get changed.

"I heard that," Dawn snapped. She was dressed and ready to go, her two bags by the door. Paul stumbled out of the bedroom about a minute later, dressed (though his shirt was on backwards) and carrying his backpack. "That can't be all you're bringing."

"You watched me pack," Paul yawned. "It's all I need."

"Fine. We need to get downstairs, Leona and Zoey just got here," Dawn said, turning towards the door. "And your shirt's on backwards."

Paul glanced at his chest, and saw that his shirt was indeed on backwards. He shrugged and followed her towards the front door.

"Can you take one of my bags?" Dawn asked, continuing in the same breath, "Thanks."

Paul narrowed his eyes at her, but slung one of her enormous bags over his free shoulder. Dawn pushed the other out of the door with her foot and stood aside to let Paul leave the apartment. She pulled the door closed behind him and twisted the key in the lock.

Dawn hauled her remaining bag into her arms and walked slowly towards the stairs. Paul followed her, making sounds of impatience with his tongue every few seconds.

"Sweet Arceus, my grandmother can move faster than you," Paul grunted. He reached around her and tugged the bag out of her arms. "Go, maybe we'll get downstairs before the end of this month."

"Asshole," Dawn said, trying to hide her smile. Paul rolled his eyes at her and brushed past her on his way to the stairs.

Dawn followed him down the stairs, thinking about the next two days. The ship would dock at Vermillion City late tomorrow night. Between now and then, there were at least thirty-six hours of uninterrupted time with Paul and her friends – and worse, her mother. She and Paul could fool any of them easily for small amounts of time. But the constant scrutiny they'd get on a cruise ship?

"Hey, Paul?" Dawn asked anxiously before they exited the building. He grunted as a response. "Do you... D'you think we can really do this?"

"Do what?"

"Make them all think we're really.. in love. For this whole weekend."

He paused and faced her. "Do you think we can't?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know," she answered uncertainly. "I mean... It's five whole days of... Acting. That's a long time. And my mom's really perceptive..."

"Dawn," Paul said. She glanced at him, surprised by his use of her name. "Don't be an idiot."

She made a face.

"We're better than you think," he continued. "And if it'll make you feel better, I'll stay away from all of you for most of the trip. The cruise there will be the hardest part anyway. You'll be off doing wedding shit with them once we're there, and I'm not a part of that. So don't worry. It's just two days – not as bad as you're thinking."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. And I can use training as an excuse on the ship," Paul added. "Your friend picked a very nice cruise liner – fully equipped battle dome."

"That almost sounded like a compliment."

"Almost," he said, something like a smile on his face. He pushed the door open, and held it so she could leave the building first. "But not quite."

- / - / - / -

An hour later, after the rushed introductions (Leona and Paul had never met), Zoey was speeding into Olympic Cruise Line's parking lot in Sunyshore City. In the semidarkness, Dawn could only make out a long line of people waiting to walk up the gangplank onto the luxurious ship.

"We're s'posed to meet May and my mom in front of the ticketing booth."

"Don't we have our tickets already?" Leona asked uneasily. Dawn smiled. Leona still got exceedingly anxious when traveling.

"No, May has them. Don't worry your pretty little head, Leona – they're all paid for and all that jazz."

"I wasn't _worried,_ Dee-Dee," Leona snapped. Dawn rolled her eyes, and Zoey and Paul watched the exchange curiously.

Zoey pulled into a parking spot and Dawn instructed Paul to unload the luggage from the trunk. He threw her a dirty look when he knew the others weren't looking. She smiled innocently.

"I'll go find your mom," Leona volunteered. "I haven't seen her in so long."

"'Kay," Dawn said easily, scanning their surroundings. "I think the ticket booth is that way." She pointed at a little building near the ship.

"I'll call you when I find them."

Zoey was busy hiding important things in her car (like her stereo), and Paul approached Dawn.

"I'm not your servant," he complained.

"Sure you are – the deal was that if you couldn't pack in five minutes, you'd have to cater to my every whim on this trip," Dawn reminded him.

"It _did_ take five minutes," he protested. She shook her head.

"Six minutes, twenty-four seconds," Dawn corrected him, grinning. "Thus: servant."

"You're trickier than I give you credit for," Paul noted, eying her speculatively.

"Get used to it – I'll be around for a while."

Zoey walked around to the back of the car then, clicking the automatic locks on the car keys. "C'mon, we're going to miss the boat."

Without waiting for Dawn to ask, Paul slung his own backpack over one shoulder, one of Dawn's bags over the other shoulder, and heaved her last bag into his arms. Zoey raised one eyebrow, impressed. Dawn turned away to hide her smirk as her friend grabbed her bag and followed after Paul.

"He's changed," Zoey murmured to Dawn as they walked towards the gangplank, her eyes on Paul's back in the semidarkness.

"Yeah," Dawn replied.

"And you're seriously not hitting that?" Zoey giggled. Dawn punched her arm, and Zoey snorted.

"Shut it, Zo," Dawn snapped. "That's none of your business."

"Since when are you so secretive, Dawn?" Zoey asked, sounding concerned. Dawn frowned at her, confused by the tone.

"I'm allowed to not share every detail of my life, Zoey."

"I know you are. But since when do you _not_ share everything? It's not like you," Zoey said. "You _used_ to tell me everything. But ever since Paul..."

"Look, Zoey," Dawn took a deep breath. "It's just something you'll have to make your peace with, okay? So I'm a more private person now. Big deal – I'm still me."

"I know, that – who else would take everyone she knows all the way to Kanto just to buy a wedding dress?" Zoey teased, dancing out of the reach of Dawn's hand, anticipating the smack to the arm Dawn had prepared.

"It's a free vacation!" Dawn laughed at her. "It's not like you're that put out."

"True," Zoey admitted, pausing when Dawn's phone rang.

"Hey, Leona," Dawn answered. "Where are you guys?"

"We just walked away from the ticketing booth," Leona said. Dawn noted that she sounded better – having her ticket must have eased her friend's travel anxiety. "Headed for the gangplank. Are you guys still at the car?"

"No, we're almost to the gangplank too. Hey, Paul, wait up – we're waiting for my mom and May and Leona," Dawn called ahead to him. He stopped automatically. "We're next to a big lamppost. Like right across the lawn from the gangplank."

"I don't see – oh, there you are," Leona's voice said before the line went dead.

"Dawn!" a familiar voice rang out behind her. Dawn spun to face her mother and two best friends advancing towards her.

"Hey, mom!" Dawn called, throwing herself into her mother's arms. Johanna laughed and squeezed her daughter.

"Hi, honey. I'd love to hug you and catch up out here, but I think we'd better get on the boat before it leaves without us."

"Right."

May handed out the remaining three tickets to Dawn, Zoey, and Paul. "Now hurry up, I don't want to miss this cruise."

"Yeah, May, we all know how much you love luxury cruises," Zoey teased. May stuck her tongue out at Zoey and hoisted her bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulder.

The group made their way to the back of the queue and proceeded slowly up the gangplank onto the ship.

"Welcome, ladies," the overzealous host greeted them when they finally boarded. "Gentleman," he added drily, seeing Paul's scowl. "May I please see your tickets? Maurice will take your things to your rooms."

One by one, Johanna, Leona, May, Zoey, and Dawn handed over their tickets. Dawn snatched Paul's from him and handed it to the host along with her own. The man flicked through their tickets quickly, and pointed them in the direction of their rooms. Maurice and another man, Philip, took May's, Johanna's, Leona's, and Zoey's bags. Paul's glare kept them from insisting to take Dawn's bags from him.

The three rooms were all in the same corridor on the second floor of the ship.

"Here we are," Maurice announced, opening the first door with a flourish. Philip quietly opened a door across the hall as Maurice unlocked a second door beside the first. The two men placed the bags in the hallway and left, allowing the women to divvy up the rooms.

"Paul and Dawn, have that one," May bossed, pointing at the single door across the hall from the other two rooms. Dawn made a face at May's bossiness, but shrugged in acceptance.

"Yeah, 'cause no one wants to hear what they'll be up to at night," Leona giggled to Johanna. Johanna glanced at her daughter and smirked.

"True enough."

"_Mother_!" Dawn complained.

"I'll stay with Leona in this room," Johanna said, picking up her modest bag. "If that's alright with you, May, dear."

"Yes, yes, it's fine," May murmured. "So you and me in this one, Zoey."

"Fine with me."

"Okay, so we'll get our stuff settled then go watch the ship leave?" May suggested, her eyes shining.

"Sure, sure, May," Dawn smiled. May loved every cruise like each was her first. Johanna and Leona disappeared into their room, whispering. Dawn scowled after them as Zoey and May went to their room. She glanced for Paul, but he was already in their room. She followed him in and shut the door.

"Sorry about... What Leona said," Dawn mumbled. Paul didn't look up as he dropped Dawn's bags on the conspicuous double bed in the center of the room. "It's just... What she's like."

"What did you expect?" Paul asked. "We're engaged. Everyone assumes we're having sex."

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "But we're not."

"Believe me, I know that," Paul said. Dawn watched him, sure that he'd sounded disgruntled. "But you can't get upset at other people that think we are. It's what normal couples do."

"Not all of them," Dawn disagreed. Paul looked at her blankly. Dawn could feel the blood rushing to her face.

"You mean, you haven't ever –"

"Come _on,_ you guys!" May snapped, banging impatiently on their door. "The ship's about to leave!"

Blushing furiously, Dawn wheeled and rushed to the door. "Okay, okay, we're coming. Don't have an aneurysm."

Paul watched Dawn hurry down the hall with her friends to where Johanna was waiting at the end of the hall, leaning over the railing. He stayed in the room. None of them would notice he wasn't with them; at least not for a few minutes.

_Never. Well, that's surprising_, Paul thought as he sat on the bed. _To say the least._

- / - / - / -

"Where is that stupid fianceé of yours?" May whined several hours later. "He missed the ship leaving port. And he's missing exploring the ship now."

"What do you care? You saw the stupid ship leaving."

"Yeah, but this is a _group _trip," May said, folding her arms. "As in, we do stuff as a _group."_

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Give me a break, May. You don't really expect Paul to do the whole happy family thing, do you?"

"Yes, I do," May informed her. "I planned this trip, and I intend that everyone do what I want."

"Isn't this my wedding?"

"Not yet."

"Ugh, you're annoying. Why are you my best friend?" Dawn groaned. May poked her arm as they wandered around the ship a few steps behind the others.

"Because I'm amazing. No one else could have planned this trip on such short notice. No one else would help you plan this wedding. No one else would –"

"Okay, okay," Dawn snapped. "You're the best, does that make you happier?"

"Marginally," May allowed. "But I still want your dumb boyfriend to spend some time with us."

"May, you know why he won't," Dawn whispered. "It's hard enough that he's coming. You do remember you're the only one that knows, right? We have to make all of them" she nodded towards her mother and other two friends, "believe we're the happiest couple ever. And the less time he's around us, the easier that'll be."

"Not really," May responded, not bothering to keep her voice down. "The more time he's away from us, they'll think there's a problem."

"A problem with what, honey?" Johanna called back to May and Dawn. Dawn glowered at May, who smiled angelically.

"Nothing, mom," Dawn sighed. "May's just pissy because Paul's not with us, so not everything's going her way."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am _n_ –"

"This is a girl's trip," Leona pointed out. "Let him so what he wants – we need to talk about the dress, after all. He can't be around for that, unless we want him to find out about the dress before the wedding."

"Yeah, May," Dawn agreed eagerly. "So butt out. He'll have dinner with us and stuff. Plus, who wants him around when we're sunbathing, huh?"

"_I_ wouldn't mind," Dawn heard her mother mutter to Leona, who tried unsuccessfully to hide her laughter.

"I heard that, mother."

"I like the idea of sunbathing," Zoey commented. "It's getting hot. Why don't we go change and sit in the sun?"

"And have a few drinks," May added, pleased. "With the cute cabana boys –"

"You're awful."

"Yep."

"Okay," Johanna interrupted Dawn's prepared comeback. "So let's go back to our rooms and get dressed for some sun?"

"Sounds good to me," Leona said as she began walking back towards their rooms.

The whole way back, Dawn and May annoyed the others with their arguments over whether or not the ship's waiters would consent to having a drink with them.

"Finally," Zoey mumbled when they got back to their hallway and darted into her room. Leona and Johanna returned to their rooms, their faces identical masks of relief to get away from May and Dawn's antics.

"You'll see," May warned as her parting words as she pulled the door to her room closed behind her. Dawn rolled her eyes and pushed her own door open. Paul wasn't there, as far as she could tell. She unzipped the darker pink duffel bag, remembering that she'd packed her boat attire there. She pulled out a deep blue bikini and shucked the simple pink dress she'd put on that morning.

She unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor and snatched the haltered top of the bikini from the bed when she heard a door creak open.

"Stay where you are!" Dawn cried in a panicky voice.

"What?" she heard him question, his voice muffled by something. "Oh. _Oh."_

"Stay _there_!" she hissed.

Paul had emerged from the little room's bathroom, toweling his hair dry. Dawn's back was to him, and she was only wearing a pair of black panties. He watched her struggle to get the top of her bathing suit on as quickly as she could.

"You're getting it tangled in the back," Paul said, staring.

"Stop _looking _at me!" Dawn said shrilly.

"You need help. You'll look.. ridiculous going out like this." No you won't. Stay in what you were wearing when I first came in. That looked...

"Stay where you are, and stop looking at me," Dawn commanded.

"Well, what're you going to do when you leave this room?" Paul snapped. "You're wearing a goddamn bikini. Everyone else can look at you like this, just not me?"

"What do you care?" Dawn shot back.

"I'm just telling you you're being an idiot." Paul said, trying to control his voice.

"Whatever, Paul. Just get out so I can finish changing."

Paul stared at her naked back for another few seconds before turning and stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Dawn squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. _He just saw me... almost completely naked_.

She tugged off her panties and pulled the bikini bottom on. She could tell Paul was right – the back of the bikini was twisted. She couldn't really fix it herself, though. She pushed her feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed one of the cruises' complimentary towels and left the room.

"That was quick, for you," Leona greeted her. She was the only one in the hall waiting, ready, in a jade green one-piece.

"You look pretty," Dawn complimented. Leona smiled in thanks. "Can you help me fix the back of my bathing suit?"

"What do you need my help for?" Leona asked, confused.

"The back got tangled when I was putting it on," Dawn explained. Dawn turned and Leona stepped forward to help fix the clasp on the halter.

"Couldn't Paul have helped you?" Leona asked quietly. Dawn stiffened for a second before forcing her muscles to relax.

"He wasn't there," Dawn lied easily. Leona dropped her hands, finished. "Thanks."

She turned to face her friend, and Leona looked confused and suspicious.

"Yes, he was," Leona disagreed. "I saw him leave."

"Did you?" Dawn said, trying to keep her voice even. "Well, he must have left while I was changing in the bathroom. I didn't see him."

"He looked angry."

"I... I wonder why. Maybe because he didn't know where we are?" Dawn invented.

"Dawn...," Leona began. She stopped when Zoey and May emerged from their room. "Hey, guys."

"Hi. I'm surprised Dawn's ready already," Zoey said teasingly. "We usually have to drag her out."

Dawn smiled nervously. May noticed this first and quickly stepped in. "Well, we still get to drag someone out – let's go get Johanna!"

Leona glanced at Dawn curiously again before allowing May to pull her to Johanna's door. Zoey and May banged on the door enthusiastically, calling Johanna out.

"Sorry, ladies," Johanna apologized when she stepped out, wearing a simple black bathing suit. "Takes me a bit longer now, you know. Age."

"Yeah, right," May snorted. "You're way too young to be using that one."

"C'mon, we want to get some good chaises together," Zoey said impatiently. She seized Leona's arm and pulled her down the hall. "Let's get going."

Johanna followed the girls, laughing. May hung back to walk with Dawn.

"What is it?" May demanded in a whisper.

"Leona.. knows something's up," Dawn responded, just as quietly. "I needed help fixing my top, and she asked why Paul didn't help me. I said it was because he wasn't there, but she saw Paul leave our room. So she knows I lied about that..."

"Why did you say he wasn't there?" May asked, confused.

"Because... Well, May, he almost saw me naked and I freaked out, and he stormed out. I didn't want to have to explain that."

"Oh," It was a mark of how seriously May was taking this that she didn't tease about Paul nearly seeing her naked, as she usually would have. "That is a problem."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, you need to let it go for now," May said decisively. "You'll tip everyone off if you act weird. You can think about what to tell Leona later."

"I'll try."

"I'll help you," May assured her. Dawn smiled at her gratefully. "Starting with now – we need to catch up with them. Let's go."

She grabbed Dawn's hand and pulled her up til they were just behind the others.

- / - / - / -

Paul stormed down the hallway and up two flights of stairs before he could start to calm himself down. _She will wear that in public, but has a problem if I see her like that? What the hell is _wrong_ with her?_

He turned three random corners and found himself in front of a sign that indicated the battle arena was down the hall to his left. Paul glanced down the hall and saw a half dozen people flashing their trainer I.D.s to a door guard before being let in. A perfect time to train...

His mind wandered back to the room, back to where he'd seen her, wearing nothing but a pair of little black panties... _She doesn't want me to see her like that? Tough shit. You wear that in public, anyone can look at you, and there's nothing you can do about it._

Paul turned resolutely around and walked back to the room. He wasn't going to train, not just yet. He was going to spend some quality time with his _fiance___é__ and her friends.

- / - / - / -

Dawn and her friends found a group of five comfortable chaises near the deep end of the top deck's pool. May insisted that the first thing they had to do was order drinks. She and Leona flirted with a passing waiter, who blushed and rushed to get the drinks they asked for. Dawn, Johanna, Zoey and Leona were happy with Margaritas, but May insisted on a Tequila Sunrise.

"They're not even that good," Dawn said, wrinkling her nose.

"Shut up, I'm on a cruise."

"Gotta give her that one," Zoey laughed. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"So – the dress," Johanna said, getting right to the heart of the trip. "I assume you know what you want, Dawn."

"Of course," Dawn flashed a smile, but paused as the waiter returned with their drinks. May thanked him warmly and said she'd call him if she needed anything else. Everyone rolled their eyes at her this time.

"Okay, a toast!" Zoey announced. "To Dawn and Paul, and their eternal happiness. Or something like that. And to May, for planning this fabulous trip for us!"

"I'll drink to that!" May laughed as they touched glasses. After they took their first sips, Johanna brought them back to order.

"Now, Dawn," she reminded her daughter. "The dress?"

"Okay," Dawn set down her drink dramatically. "So, I want it to be perfect, of course. But tasteful. And sort of old-fashioned. So, I was thinking, a ball gown cut for the dress of course, lace bodice, lots of tulle. Strapless sweetheart neckline, preferably – I could do a halter, too, though. Long veil. White. None of this new, weird, cream, ivory, pink crap. I want a _white_ wedding dress. So. Yes. And although I love some of the newer designers, they all do corseted bodices. You know, where you can see through the lace to the skin. I think that looks tacky. So, nothing like that. I want a bodice, though. Nothing that balloons out just under the bust, that looks creepy. And the bodice should have beading, of course. Not too much, though, it'd clash with the lace."

There was a moment's silence, where everyone just stared at her.

"What?" Dawn asked defensively. "It's my wedding dress – did you think I wouldn't _think_ about it?"

"Of course we thought you'd thought about it, dear, but not quite so _much_," Johanna said, taking a sip of her margarita. "That's quite a description. Doesn't really give much room for suggestions."

"Well, if you thought something'd look good on me, I'd try it on," Dawn amended. "But I know what I want, and I know how I want to look on my –"

"Shhh!" Leona hushed them suddenly. "He can't hear about it!"

Dawn looked at her, confused, but Leona's gaze was fixed on something behind her. She turned and saw what had caught Leona's attention. Paul was striding purposefully towards them, wearing dark grey swim shorts, a white towel hanging around his neck. His chest was bare. She glared at him.

"Hello," Paul said quietly when he reached them. "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Yes, you are," May snapped. "Go away."

Paul raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, don't mind May, Paul, dear," Johanna laughed. "She's just put out that you didn't go out to watch the ship set sail with all of us this morning."

"I am _n_ –"

"I had to put Dawn's things away," Paul explained, shooting a nasty look at Dawn. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You saw how much she brought – it took much longer than I expected."

Zoey and Leona laughed. "Can we get you something to drink?" Zoey asked, flagging down the waiter that'd helped them earlier. He looked sourly at Paul.

"Can I get you something?"

"Yes," Paul said, locking eyes with Dawn as she lifted her margarita haughtily. "I'd like... Sex on the beach."

Dawn snorted into her drink, spilling it on the ground in front of her.

"And another margarita for the lady," Paul added, smirking. The waiter left quickly while Dawn wiped her mouth and the other women laughed at her.

"Dawn, you don't want sex on the beach as well?" Zoey laughed, clutching her sides.

"Shut up," Dawn muttered.

"Where did you go so fast earlier, Paul?" Leona asked, no longer laughing, looking at him seriously.

"When?" Paul asked, sensing danger.

"Just after our argument in our room," Dawn hinted. His brow furrowed. To the others, it looked as though the fight had upset him; but Dawn knew he was thinking fast.

"Well...," Paul began, sitting down on the edge of Dawn's chaise, "Dawn was upset that I told her I wanted to spend the day training – you know, in the ship's battle arena. She wanted me to stay with all of you, and get to know you better. I was... upset, and we both said some things..."

"I'm surprised you came up here, actually," Dawn murmured. Paul glanced at her, and she smiled her approval of his cover story. "I'd thought you'd want to prove a point and stay down there the whole cruise."

"No, I don't like having you mad at me," Paul said, shamelessly raking his eyes up and down her exposed body. She blushed and crossed her arms. His raised eyebrow told it was futile.

"Well, it's nice that you could join us," Johanna smiled as the waiter returned with Paul and Dawn's drinks. "And perhaps you could tell us a bit about the Pokémon you'll be using against Cynthia?"

"Ah," Paul glanced at Johanna. "No offense intended, but I can't share that. I don't want that getting anywhere, and we're in such a public place..."

"I understand," Johanna nodded. "So perhaps about your family?"

Paul's face darkened. "There's my brother, Reggie. You'll meet him before the wedding, I daresay."

Dawn looked at his expression, trying to hide her curiosity. Johanna didn't try to hide hers.

"He plans to help Dawn with the wedding as much as she'll allow," Paul continued. "So if you're helping, I'm sure you'll meet him soon."

Johanna still looked curious, but Paul's posture made it clear that he was uncomfortable with the subject.

"Leona," Johanna said, shifting her gaze to the girl beside her, "tell me, how is your mother? I haven't seen her in years."

"She's doing really well, Johanna."

"And the hot spring?"

"The resort's fantastic!" May inserted. "Arceus, it's the best feeling in the world. Dawn, have you thought about your honeymoon at all? Because I'd recommend Leona's parents' hot spring resort."

"I know it's great, I've been there," Dawn mumbled, embarrassed. "But I don't think Leona's parents' place is where I'd want to spend my honeymoon, you know? They've known me since I was a baby. Don't you think that'd be awkward?"

"They'd make sure it would be," Leona laughed, and Dawn joined her.

This inevitably led to a discussion of ideal honeymoon locations. Paul leaned back and picked something up off the ground beside Dawn's chair.

"Don't freak out," he whispered in her ear. She stiffened, and lost the thread of the conversation. "I'm just keeping up my end of the bet."

She felt his cold hands on her shoulders. When she realized what he was doing, she lifted her hair off of her back to allow him to spread sun block on her. May caught sight of this and shook her head, fighting a laugh. Johanna smiled indulgently at her daughter and her fianceé. Leona watched for a moment; she'd never seen Dawn like this. Zoey didn't notice.

Dawn acted nonchalant, but her nerves were on high alert. She felt his long fingers working the sunblock into her skin, felt his breath on her neck, felt every time he shifted his weight on the chaise. His hands rubbed the lotion lower and lower down her back, and she knew it wouldn't be long before he went too far.

"You know, Paul," she hissed, "I don't really think I need sunblock _there."_

He raised his hands innocently, and answered, "I'm just being thorough."

- / - / - / -

They sat, drank, and chatted by the pool until late evening. Their waiter friend has filled their drinks before they were empty – none of them had had an empty glass all day. It was getting dark now, the sun had just slipped past the horizon.

"Look," Zoey slurred, pointing. "A star."

"I'm cutting you off," May giggled.

"Shuddup."

"We should go and get some dinner," Leona suggested.

"That's a good idea," Johanna agreed, rising unsteadily to her feet. "We should change into something a bit more suitable and go to that lovely restaurant May was telling us about earlier."

"It's so good," May said, nodding. "Best food outside of that restaurant at Lake Valor."

"Okay," Dawn mumbled. "I like good food."

She swayed when she stood, and Paul took hold of her elbow to keep her steady. Zoey had more success standing, and eventually the group walked across the deck to the stairs. Paul stopped Dawn before they descended and told her to wait there for him. Dawn watched him walk to the bar, pulling his wallet out at he went. She tilted her head as she watched him. During the day, it had taken all of her brainpower to remind herself every several minutes that it would not look very good if she started tracing Paul's muscles with her fingertips. She hadn't gotten to look at his back.

He was almost slender; his muscles didn't make him look bulky – more lean.

Paul returned to her side a moment later. "C'mon. Put your weight on me, I think you'll fall if you walk on your own."

"You have back dimples," Dawn informed him as he walked her down the stairs.

"I have what?"

"Back dimples. They look very nice," Dawn assured him. "And your chest is nice, too."

"This sounds like you're calling me attractive," Paul pointed out. "Watch out."

"Well, it's not like you're hard to look at."

"Thank you," Paul said, steering her towards their room. "I think that would mean something if you hadn't spent the day drinking with your friends."

"I'll tell you again tomorrow, then," Dawn promised.

"Your friends are very loud," Paul commented. "Especially that ginger. The one with curly hair is quieter, though. And I can tell the one with the weird pigtails doesn't like me."

"Her name is _Zoey_," Dawn snapped, "Not 'that ginger.' And the one with the curly hair is Leona. And May doesn't have _weird pigtails_."

"You're right," Paul agreed. "They're awful. Does she really think that looks good?"

"You're mean. May is very pretty."

Paul didn't answer.

"And you shouldn't be mean to my friends," Dawn pouted. "That will really make them not like you."

"They can't hear me, can they?" Paul said, a challenge in his voice. Dawn said nothing, stumped by his logic.

"This isn't fair," Dawn whined. "It doesn't count as winning if I'm inebriated."

"I'm impressed you even can articulate the word at this point," Paul acknowledged, pushing open a door, one had still firmly around Dawn's waist. "We're back at the room. Do you need me to pick out what you'll wear?"

"No, you'd pick something terrible."

"I was under the impression that you didn't own anything terrible."

"I don't," Dawn said, pushing away from his constricting arm. She tottered to the bed and pulled out a dark blue dress the color of her bathing suit. She yanked it over her head, not bothering to change. This didn't escape Paul's notice.

"You aren't going to change?"

"Why, want a repeat of this afternoon?" Dawn giggled, watching as Paul buttoned a dark shirt over his naked chest.

"You're more drunk than I thought," Paul said drily. "Come on, let's get some food in you so you can think straight again."

He pulled her through the door to their cabin where everyone was waiting for them.

"The restaurant's on the floor just below the deck," May announced. "Shall we?"

"I hope you made reservations," Paul muttered. "This is big ship, everyone's going to want to eat there."

"Of course I did," May said smugly. "I'm not an idiot."

"Could have fooled me," Paul said so quietly no one but Dawn could hear him. She snickered into her hand as they followed her friends up towards the restaurant.

- / - / - / -

At eleven-thirty, the group left the ship's luxury restaurant and walked back down to their rooms. The younger women were no longer intoxicated, but Johanna had had a bit more than her fair share. She stumbled into her room without saying goodnight.

"I'll look after her, Dee-Dee, don't worry," Leona promised. She kissed her friend's cheek and waved to the others. "G'night."

"'Night, Leona," they called as she slipped into her room and shut the door.

"See you two in the morning," May yawned, pulling Zoey into their room. Zoey winked at Dawn and wagged her eyebrows suggestively. Dawn made a face as her as their door closed.

"C'mon," Dawn said, pushing their door open.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," Paul said as she shoved her bags off the bed and onto the floor.

"I wasn't that bad."

"Sure you were. You basically offered to take your clothes off for me. Ow," he complained when Dawn's sandal connected with his head.

"I did not."

"Whatever you say, princess. But I'd go easy on the alcohol next time," he warned, rolling over. "I might not be so lenient next time."

"Meaning?" Dawn asked as she skipped into the bathroom to change.

"Well, I don't usually take it lightly when women offer to get naked for me," Paul said to the far wall. "So if you offer again, I'll let you. Drunk or not."

"You're a pig."

"Right," he snorted. "You can parade around in what you call a swim suit – you couldn't go in water in that thing, it'd probably melt – in front of all the men in the world, but you get all modest when it's your fianceé. And I'm the pig?"

"That isn't fair, Paul. You know as well as I do that we're not for real."

"Yes, we are. You've got _my _ring on your finger. And even if you don't like me, you're going to be my wife," Paul said darkly. "And I don't much like it that my wife-to-be will show off her body to everyone but me. Not just that – don't like it that you will show off your body to anyone – even if I was included. Don't you think you should have _some _modesty?"

"I don't belong to you," Dawn snapped, coming out of the bathroom.

"I believe the ring you're wearing says otherwise."

"Don't be so medieval."

"I'm serious," Paul said. He rolled over and looked at her.

"Why do you care?"

"How do you think it would look if my wife runs around in something like _that_?" Paul asked. That wasn't why it bothered him, but it was a reason he thought she'd take more seriously.

"They're pajamas."

"You know what I mean," he groaned. "Like that thing you were wearing earlier."

"Fine."

"Fine," Paul agreed.

"Go to sleep," Dawn ordered, turning off the light.

- / - / - / -

When Paul woke up the next morning, Dawn was gone. He ground his teeth in annoyance as last night's conversation filled his mind. He stood and walked sleepily to the bathroom and pushed it open. There was a note on the mirror from Dawn.

_We'll be talking wedding all day. Go train, it's fine._

"Don't tell me what to do," Paul grumbled at the note.

He showered quickly in the ship's tiny shower stall and dressed quickly in black pants and a long sleeved black shirt. He shoved his feet into socks and then his shoes.

Paul had no desire to train that day, but he really did need to. So he snatched up his backpack with his Pokéballs and stalked down the hall towards the battle arena.

- / - / - / -

"We'll be in Vermillion in a few hours," May said ruefully, staring over the railing at the approaching shore. "It feels like we just got on."

"We were here all day yesterday," Zoey called from her spot by the pool.

"I'm _bored_," Leona complained. "There's nothing to do."

"Why don't you go to the battle arena, then?" May suggested. "Paul will entertain you, I'm sure."

"I don't want to."

"Then shut it, you're ruining my fun."

"Calm down, you guys," Dawn snapped, looking up from the table she and Johanna were still sitting. "If you want something to do, Lee, come over here and help me and mom budget the wedding."

"Arceus, no."

"Then follow Zoey's lead and swim and take a nap," Dawn suggested, turning back to the scribbled paper on the table.

"Attention, passengers," a crackled voice came from the speakers. "We will be docking at Vermillion City in about forty-five minutes. Please make sure your possessions are gathered, and I hope you enjoyed your time with us."

"Only forty-five minutes?" May shrieked. "I thought we had time!"

"Go clean up your stuff in our room," Zoey ordered. "It's a mess. It'll take you at least a half hour."

May left, and Zoey followed not long after.

"She'll need help," Zoey explained as she left.

"I should go get ready to go, too," Leona said, gathering up her towel and sunscreen. "See you soon."

"'Bye," Dawn called after her.

"Dawn," Johanna said in a low voice. "This wedding is going to be expensive. And it's just going to get more so the longer you wait."

"I know that," Dawn sighed. "What do you think?"

"You'll have the dress," Johanna said contemplatively. "Alterations will take a few months, of course..."

"I know."

"Why wait until May?" Johanna asked, leaning back in her chair. "What's so special about then?"

"Nothing. I just wanted time to make it beautiful."

"It will be, Dawn," Johanna assured her. "But –"

"I'll figure it out," Dawn said, pushing away from the table. "Maybe January."

"Okay, Dawn. You know I want to help you pay for this –"

"Don't be crazy, mom. I have money," Dawn protested. "More than I use. You know that."

"I will help, with something. It's my job as your mom," Johanna joked, slinging an arm around Dawn's shoulders. They walked across the deck and back to their rooms.

"I've got to find Paul," Dawn excused herself at her mother's door. "I'll meet you back here in a few, okay?"

"Love you, sweetie."

"You too, mom."

Dawn hurried toward the battle arena, sure that Paul would ignore the intercom message. She arrived near the end of a battle. Paul and and older woman were battling; Paul using his Froslass, the woman using a Jynx. Paul clearly had the upper hand.

"Finish this – Ominous Wind," Paul called, almost lazily.

"Jynx, use Fake Out!" the woman yelled, her voice heavily accented.

Froslass was quicker, and Ominous Wind dealt the final blow.

"Thank you, Jynx," the woman murmured as she recalled the Pokémon. "You're quite skilled, young man."

Paul nodded and extended his hand to shake hers.

"I wish you luck in your upcoming battle," she continued. "She's very talented."

"Yes, I know."

They exchanged a few more words, and Paul saw Dawn waiting beside the door.

"What?"

"We have to get ready to go. The ship's about the dock," Dawn stated. "And that was a nice battle. Your Froslass is amazing."

"I trained her well," Paul mused. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, let's just go."

- / - / - / -

An hour or so later, Paul and Dawn, Zoey, Leona, May, and Johanna were all unloaded and May was on the phone with Misty, trying to describe their location.

"Oh hey!" a voice called from the street. They turned to see a girl with short red hair waving at them.

"Hi," May and Dawn greeted her together. The girls embraced awkwardly, and Dawn introduced her friends, mother, and fianceé.

"Nice to meet you all," Misty said. "I'm Misty."

"How do you know each other?" Johanna asked.

"Um," Dawn said.

"Friend of a friend," Misty supplied. "So... Shall we?"

The group shuffled after her.

"So, um, I don't have a car big enough for all of us," Misty said. "So I had a friend come and drive, too..."

She pointed at two cars parked illegally. The first was clearly her own; a small blue four door. The second was a rusty red truck. A man with messy black hair leaned against it, a Pikachu perched on the edge of the truck bed.

"Hey, there, Dawn,"Ash called, grinning. "It's been a while."

"Ash!" Dawn squealed, launching herself into his arms. He hugged her, laughing.

"Hey, May!" he hugged the brunette next, just as enthusiastically. "Hey, Zoey, Leona. Hi, Johanna."

He politely hugged the latter three before turning to Paul. "Hello, Paul."

"Ash," Paul nodded. He was thankful for Dawn's bags; he wouldn't be subjected to a hug, or even a handshake. Ash eyed his old rival speculatively, his dark brown eyes noting the bags in his arms and his proximity to Dawn.

"You've changed," Ash admitted. Then he burst out laughing. "Man, she has got you _whipped_!"

Paul narrowed his eyes.

"Whipped or not, I can still sweep the floor with you in a battle."

"Okay, okay, okay," Dawn intervened. "Let's just go."

"Well, Johanna, May, Leona, Zoey – you can ride with me," Misty suggested. "I think it best to keep the boys together, don't you?"

May laughed. "Not _those_ two boys. Poor Dawn."

"It's fine," Dawn grimaced. "The hotel's not far, right?"

"'Bout a half hour into Saffron," Ash corrected her. "Then, with the city traffic? It'll be at least forty-five minutes."

"Oh, goody."

"I'll behave myself, Dawn, I promise," Ash said innocently. Misty smacked the back of his head playfully.

"See you soon."

Ash helped the women load their bags into Misty's car while May and Dawn said their hellos to Pikachu. Paul swung Dawn's bag into the truck bed along with his own backpack, pulling a tarp over them and securing them.

"Ready?" Ash asked as Misty drove away. Dawn shook her head.

"Oh, come on, I'm a great driver, Dawn!"

Paul snorted loudly. "_That _I doubt."

Ash ignored the jibe and held the passenger door open for Dawn. "He'll have to sit in the back."

"Ash, come on," Dawn protested.

"What? My truck has a back seat," Ash said, pointing. "He'll just have to climb over you. Sure you're used to that, now, aren't you?"

Grumbling, Paul crawled over the seat into the back before Dawn got in. Ash hopped in the driver's side and cranked the engine to life.

"Arceus, we're going to break down on he side of a road," Paul groaned.

"Don't hate the truck," Ash said cheerfully. "C'mon, little buddy, we're going!"

Pikachu slid in Dawn's open window and sat on her lap. Paul wrinkled his nose.

"Mind if I turn on the radio?" Ash said, turning the dial on as he asked. An old country song crackled through the speakers. "So, how've you been, Dawn?"

"Great," Dawn shrugged. "Same old, same old."

"Yeah right. 'Same old, same old' doesn't cover getting engaged to a psycho."

"She's not engaged to _you_," Paul spat.

"Touchy, touchy," Ash laughed. "You really want that kind of energy around the kids?"

"Cut it out, Ash," Dawn said, poking his arm. "Let's talk about you, huh? Pokémon Master yet?"

Ash made a face, and Paul smirked.

- / - / - / -

An hour later, they pulled into the posh hotel's parking lot. Paul looked smug at ever scathing glare thrown at Ash's truck; no car in this parking lot was near this old. Ash seemed oblivious as he pulled into an open parking space.

"Let's go in, shall we?" Ash suggested as he killed the engine. He slouched around to open Dawn's door for her. She smiled as he helped her out. Paul's face was dark when he exited the truck. "You'll get her stuff, right, Paul?"

Ash threw his arm around Dawn and steered her towards the hotel lobby. Paul snatched up the bags and followed. His eyes were fixed on Ash's arm;_ How mad would she get if I removed his arm, really? He doesn't really need it..._

They met the others just outside the door. A bellhop whisked the bags away from Paul onto a luggage cart. Paul knew he couldn't watch Ash's arm for another minute without making his fantasy a reality, so he stalked past him into the lobby.

"Monsieur, welcome to the Raphael," the concierge inside welcomed Paul. "How can I be of help?"

Fortunately, May had followed him inside. "Sir, I have a reservation for four rooms," she answered, smiling dazzlingly at the concierge. He smiled back at her.

"Name?"

Paul stopped listening and looked at the paintings on the walls without seeing them. He could hear Ash laughing outside, and it grated his already worn nerves. Was his arm still on Dawn? He had to look...

Fortunately, they'd just entered the lobby. Ash's arm was still around Dawn. The two men made eye contact and Ash raised his eyebrows at Paul's expression. Paul approached them before he could put his actions into thought.

"Get your hands off her," he hissed. Dawn looked at him with wide eyes.

"Calm down –" Ash sneered, stopping when Paul flicked his arm off of Dawn. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Paul," Dawn murmured, "it's not a problem."

"I disagree."

"Let me show you to your rooms," the concierge interrupted, coughing in embarrassment. Paul glanced around and saw that everyone in the lobby had watched their unpleasant exchange. He secured his arm around Dawn's waist and followed him.

"What the hell was that?" Dawn snapped.

"He gets on my nerves."

"You didn't have to make a scene."

"He didn't listen, that isn't my fault," Paul said indifferently. Dawn glared at him, but he ignored her.

- / - / - / -

After everyone was settled in their rooms, they met in the lobby for a very uncomfortable dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Ash continued to stare at Paul like he was a madman. Dawn heard her mother and Leona whispering that is was nice that Paul was so protective of her. Misty and Zoey both seemed wary, but said nothing. May caught Dawn's eye and gave her a look that said_ I told you so_. Dawn ignored them all.

May insisted they all go to sleep early, as their appointment the next morning was at nine o' clock exactly, and it was a good fifteen minute walk from the hotel. Dawn bade the others good night. Paul said nothing, nodding at Johanna and Leona, who'd both made an effort to say good night to him.

"Arceus, Paul," Dawn complained as he unlocked the door to their room. "You're doing a hell of a job acting like –"

"You didn't tell me he would be here."

"I didn't _know_ he would," Dawn snapped. "Or I would have, believe me. Anything to avoid this _again_."

"Again?" Paul asked, confused.

"You've already treated me like a pariah," she reminded him, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "Even in the past week. It's not something I enjoy."

"I'm not treating you like a pariah," Paul shrugged. "Ash doesn't act right. I'm not going to lie down and take that."

"He didn't even _do_ anything, for crying out loud!"

"Yes, he did."

"Big deal, he put his arm around me. That's what _friends_ do!" Dawn said, clearly exasperated. Paul said nothing, just pulled out a pair of tattered sweat pants that he wore to bed.

"So you're saying you never did that with Diana?" Dawn asked. Paul whirled around and glared at her. Okay, so bringing up Paul's ex-girlfriend was probably a bad idea.

"You want to convince me that you and him are _just friends_, and you bring up the last girl I loved to do that?" Paul snarled. "You think that'll make me think he doesn't think about you – that you don't think about _him_?"

Okay, so it was a very bad idea.

"Sorry," Dawn rushed, holding her hands up. "I didn't mean that."

"_Sure_ you didn't," Paul snapped, stalking past her into the bathroom. He slammed the door furiously, and she heard the shower running.

"Whoops."

Paul inhaled the scalding steam of the shower, hoping it would calm him down. It wasn't working.

_So, she thinks her relationship with Ash_, Paul's lip curled involuntarily at the name,_ is analogous to mine with Diana_.

To be fair, he'd never actually said he'd loved Diana. Not until tonight. Not to Diana, not to Dawn, not really even to himself. But to hear her say she considered that boy to be... Anything, that was unbearable.

Why?

Why should it matter to him what she thought, who she liked? She was just a pawn. He was just using her to get to be Champion. He winced slightly.

_She's just a girl. Just a stupid girl who's only good for one thing_. Paul thought angrily. _She can make me Champion_.

So why did he care what she thought? Why had he wanted to rip Ash's arms off for just touching her? Why did it incense him to know that she would show herself to countless people in a barely-there bikini, but not him? Why did he spend time with her, even when he didn't have to – like the first day on the ship?

It had gone past the point where he could pretend to himself that she meant nothing. He'd promised himself a long time ago that he wasn't going to lie to himself about anything. She was something. But only something, now. He didn't have to let it go farther. She didn't have to be more than... that.

_I don't think I can make her mean less. But I can stop her from meaning more_, Paul told himself firmly.

He turned off the water when he realized it was painful to have scalding water pounding down his back. He dried himself off – incompletely – and yanked on the ratty sweat pants. Paul looked at the mirror, coated in fug from the hot water, for several minutes before going back into the room.

"I'm sorry for saying that," Dawn said softly. His eyes found her immediately. She was sitting in the middle of the bed, legs crossed pretzel-style under hear. She looked sad.

_Who am I kidding? I can't stop anything. She already means more_.

"It's okay," Paul said robotically.

"But it's not," she disagreed. "I was trying to make you mad. I'm sorry it worked."

"Okay, it's not then. But forget about it. I'm over it."

His voice sounded wrong to him.

"If you say so...," Dawn crawled off the bed and grabbed some clothes from on top of an open bag and walked towards him. _No_, Paul corrected, _she's walking to the bathroom, not me_. She paused, and mumbled again, "I'm sorry."

She darted into the bathroom, and he heard her turn on the shower as well. Paul lay down, dumbfounded, and lay awake in the dark, listening to the water run. He pretended to be asleep when she came and got into bed, but he didn't fall asleep until after four in the morning.

- / - / - / -

Dawn had set her alarm for seven-thirty in the morning. She didn't need to wash her hair – she'd done that last night – but she wanted to straighten her hair. It was always a mess when she went to sleep with her hair wet. She turned the alarm off the second it went off, so as not to wake Paul. Dawn glanced at him. He looked exhausted.

As Dawn straightened her hair, she tried not to think about what she'd said to him last night. Moreover, what he'd said.

He'd loved this.. Diana person, apparently. That was interesting. He'd said before that he'd left because he was afraid of falling in love with her. Well, to be fair, that didn't mean he hadn't already fallen for her. He was just afraid of it.

_Stop it_, Dawn reprimanded herself. _It's not your business. You're not her_.

She forced herself to think about her dress, and it took over her brain quickly. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it –_ I'm trying on wedding dresses today_!

After her hair was acceptable, she brushed on mascara, unconcerned about anything else. She'd brought what she was wearing that day into the bathroom with her; she pulled on a pair of spanx and hooked on a strapless bra. Over these, she pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans – she wouldn't be wearing them for long, after all – and a simple white v-neck. The clock on the bathroom wall said that it was eight-twenty; May was adamant about leaving at eight-thirty. Dawn groaned and left the bathroom.

"You were up early," Paul noted. Dawn spun to face him, looking apologetic. He was laying in their bed, sheets covering him up to the waist. His hair was a disaster.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Dawn apologized. "You looked so tired, I wanted to let you sleep."

"When are you leaving?" he asked, totally ignoring her.

"I have to be downstairs in ten minutes."

"I'll go with you," Paul decided, flinging the sheets off of him.

"You can't come dress shopping with me," Dawn objected. "You're not allowed to see the dress til I'm walking down the aisle."

"I didn't say go _shopping _with you," he snorted, looking disgusted by the idea of being in a store with you. "I said I'd go downstairs with you. I didn't get any training done on the way here."

"Okay, then," Dawn allowed. "Hurry, though. I don't want to see May in a hissy fit today."

"I wouldn't either," Paul muttered, pulling a long sleeved purple shirt over his head, which made his hair, at least, look less stupid. He looked at her expectantly when his head emerged.

"What?"

"I'm not wearing boxers under these," Paul said pointedly, plucking at his sweats.

"Oh," Dawn blushed. "Well, I'll – I'll just wait outside."

She left the room, shaking her head. Paul joined her in the hall just a minute later, having yanked on a pair of old blue jeans and brushed his teeth. Silently, they walked down the hall to the elevators.

"I hope you find the dress today," Paul offered awkwardly as they descended. Dawn looked at him, surprised.

"Thank you," she said. "I hope I do too."

"I'll want you to okay what I'm wearing," he continued. "After, I mean. And whatever Reggie should wear. He'll be my best man."

"Okay," Dawn agreed. "Do you have a preference?"

Paul was quiet until the elevator doors opened, revealing May, Zoey, Johanna, Leona, Misty, and Ash. Dawn assumed his silence meant he didn't care.

"Green," he said suddenly. Dawn looked at him curiously, but he didn't elaborate.

"Morning," Dawn sang towards her friends.

"You're almost late," May informed her. "We should go, it's good to be early."

"Okay, okay, May," Zoey said, rolling her eyes, "we know you want to get going. She's been down here since eight," she added for Dawn and Paul's benefit.

"We should get going, though," Johanna inserted. "It's always better to be early, rather than late."

"Where are you going, Ash?" Dawn asked as they exited the hotel and walked in the direction May led.

"To train somewhere," he shrugged. "There's nothing better to do in this boring town."

"Town?" Misty snorted. "You're from a town. This is a city – and it's the farthest thing from boring."

"Yeah, right," Ash muttered, kicking a pebble into the street.

"I'll prove it to you," Misty challenged. "How about we go to my sisters' club tonight? You're sure to find something interesting to do _there."_

"Or someone," May mumbled, punching the button to allow them to cross the street. Leona laughed.

"Clubs are stupid," Zoey complained. "You just drink and get boys grinding all over you."

"What's wrong with that?" Leona laughed. "I like boys."

"Wow, look at that car!" May gasped, pointing at a bright red convertible as it passed.

"Damn," Leona murmured. "Take me for a ride, baby."

Ash scowled at the women. "Girls don't like boys," Ash disagreed grumpily. "Girls like cars and money."

"And the girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris," Paul murmured unexpectedly.

"We see eye to eye for once," Ash laughed. Paul nodded appreciatively.

"That was a nice car, though. Very fast."

"Of course that's what _you'd_ care about," Dawn rolled her eyes. Paul said nothing.

"So, tonight?" Misty pressed. "I did promise the visitors a night on the town. What better way to do it than Sensational Sister style?"

"I'll pass, but thank you," Johanna said.

"I'm in," May called from ahead of them. "We'll need alcohol after a day with Dawn trying on dresses."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn asked indignantly. Leona laughed at her.

"I'll go too," Leona added. "It'll be nice to get out for a while."

"Get out for a while? You're on a vacation," Ash commented, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Dawn.

"I'll go if everyone's going," Zoey said, sounding put-upon.

"I'll go," Dawn shrugged. "I'd like to see the famous Pure Instinct."

"What's that?" Paul asked under his breath.

"The name of the club Misty's sisters own," Dawn answered. "You don't have to go."

"I'll meet you there," Paul offered. "What time do you think you'll go?"

"Probably around ten-thirty," Misty responded, having overheard his question. "A little early, I'll admit, but Daisy'll want us to get the full tour by her."

"I'll meet you there around eleven, then," Paul decided. "I hate guided tours."

"Okay," Dawn said, sounding surprised. He smirked at her tone.

"I guess I have no choice, then," Ash grumbled.

"I hope you guys are done talking about tonight, because the focus of today is right up there!" May announced dramatically, pointing at a colossal building a street away. The front windows were filled with sleek gowns. Dawn squealed in excitement.

"This is where I leave you," Paul said, pulling her to a stop. As they needed to cross one final street that was currently impossible to cross due to traffic, everyone else stopped as well. Paul noticed this and gave Dawn a meaningful look before kissing her nose. "I hope you find the perfect dress today."

"Thanks," Dawn said, blushing. "I hope you... Do well at training today."

"Thank you," he smirked at her pause, guessing she had been trying to remember what he'd said he would do today.

"Hey, Paul!" Ash crowed as they crossed the last street and approached Kleinfeld's. "Want to battle today?"

Paul sighed. "Not really."

"Oh, c'mon!" Ash whined as all the women but Dawn pushed their way into the boutique. Dawn gave Paul a look of understanding.

"Hope to see you in one piece after a day with him," Dawn whispered in his ear. She squeezed his arm before following her friends into Kleinfeld's. Paul felt something flare inside him. Joke or not, she wanted to see him later. He rolled his eyes and agreed to battle Ash.

- / - / - / -

"Welcome to Kleinfeld Bridal," a pleasant woman greeted them when they approached the seating area. "Whose is this bridal party?"

"Mine," Dawn announced. "Dawn."

"Ah, yes," the woman noted, leafing through a stack of papers on her desk. "You're Sarah's nine o' clock appointment. She'll be with you shortly. If you wouldn't mind waiting..."

"I'm so excited!" Dawn grinned, sitting in the nearest armchair. Johanna smiled indulgently at her daughter. "I still can't believe I'm really trying on wedding dresses today!"

"Thought the day would never come," Zoey said drily. Dawn kicked her chair. Zoey frowned.

"Don't ruin this for me," Dawn warned.

"I can't wait to see the monster you pick out," Leona giggled. "It's going to be crazy, Dee-Dee. So pretty."

"Hi, Dawn?"

Everyone shifted to face the voice. A pretty woman with long black hair stood in the doorway to the gallery. She was wearing a simple black dress and a professional smile.

"That's me," Dawn said, standing. She offered her hand.

"I'm Sarah."

"It's so nice to meet you," Dawn said sincerely. She turned slightly, and pointed each out as she called their names. "These are Johanna, my mom; May, my maid of honor; and my bridesmaids, Leona, Zoey, and Misty."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Sarah smiled. "So, if I can just show you to a dressing room..."

They followed Sarah through the gallery. Dawn's eyes raked the displays, looking for dresses she wanted to try on. Leona pointed out a few that she thought would look pretty on Dawn. Zoey and May chattered quietly, pointing out dresses they liked for themselves. Johanna and Misty followed silently, seeming awed by the gallery's grandeur.

"In here," Sarah said, pointing. They filed in silently and took their seats. "So, when's the big day?"

"Um," Dawn said brilliantly, exchanging a glance with her mother. "May twenty-first."

"Ah, it's beautiful that time of year," Sarah commented. "So what are we thinking of, dress wise? How do you want to look on your wedding day?"

"Like a princess," Dawn gushed. "I want a ball gown, for sure. I really like lace, I think it's beautiful. Nothing where you can see through the bodice."

"Okay, okay," Sarah nodded. "And do you have a price point? Any number you'd like to stay under...?"

"I'm buying the dress," Johanna spoke before Dawn could. "And as long as we keep it under ten thousand, I'll be happy."

"Mom!"

"This is my contribution to the wedding, sweetie," Johanna said, patting her daughter's hand. "Let me do what I can for you."

"Okay, so ten?" Sarah verified. Johanna nodded.

"Um," Zoey interjected. "We – me and May, I mean – saw a dress we think would be pretty in the gallery. Do you think she could try that on, too?"

"We'll see, when we go to look for dresses," Sarah agreed, standing up. "Shall we?"

The women filed out of the small room and accompanied Sarah to the gallery first, so that May and Zoey could show her the dress they'd liked. Dawn was skeptical – she didn't really like mermaid cuts – but agreed to try it on for them. Leona pointed out a dress that Dawn had actually noticed as they'd passed through before. She told Sarah she liked Leona's dress, and Sarah made a note on a pad of paper. Everyone but Dawn and Sarah returned to the dressing room. Sarah led Dawn to the cavernous stockroom, and Dawn picked out a dress she liked while Sarah found the two dresses Dawn's friends had liked (the samples had been on mannequins). Dawn looked at Sarah questioningly when she returned with three dresses in garment bags, but Sarah merely smiled and took Dawn's choice.

When they returned to the dressing room, Dawn's friends and mother were instructed to sit outside while Dawn changed. With the audience gone, Dawn breathed a sigh of relief.

"How are you?" Sarah asked kindly.

"I'm okay. It's just overwhelming," Dawn explained. "I love them all, of course, but it was a long trip all the way from Sinnoh to gt here."

"This dress must be important to you," Sarah guessed as Dawn shucked her clothes. Dawn nodded absently. "Which dress would you like to start with?"

"The one Leona picked out front," Dawn decided. She'd liked that one as well, after all.

Sarah quickly helped her into the ball gown, and Dawn admired her reflection.

"Wow, is that me?" she laughed. Sarah laughed with her and asked if she wanted to show the others. Dawn nodded fervently.

"Oh, _Dawn_!" Johanna and Leona gasped together when Dawn emerged from the dressing room. May cooed, and Zoey looked appraising. Misty's head was tilted as she watched Dawn walk in. Dawn faced the mirror and really looked at her reflection.

The dress had was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline. The fabric folded gently towards her left hip. There was a beaded waist where Dawn's waist naturally was, and the skirt billowed out just enough to be noticeable, with a beautiful layer of lace that fell subtly past the rest of the skirt. The train was about two feet long, and the lace covering trailed another six inches.

"Dee-Dee, you're beautiful!"

Dawn smiled at Leona. "Good pick, Lee. It's amazing."

"I'm not in love with the top," Zoey muttered. "I mean, the neckline's nice, but the way the top kind of all goes toward your hip? It's a little weird."

"Yeah," May nodded in agreement. Leona looked annoyed. "But it's not that bad. I mean, it's not like that's what everyone would be looking at, saying 'ew, why did she get that dress.' It's just different."

"I think it's a beautiful dress," Misty offered.

"I agree with Misty," Johanna began.

"I hear a 'but' coming, mother."

"But," Johanna said, smiling, "I really think I'll cry when I see you in _your_ dress. It's gorgeous, of course, and you're gorgeous in it, but I don't think it's _your_ dress."

"I think you're right, mom," Dawn agreed. Leona made a face. "It's pretty, but it's not me."

"So this one's a no?" Sarah asked. Dawn shook her head, and Sarah led her back into the dressing room. It was easier getting out of the dress than it had been getting into it, and she was into the next dress, the mystery dress Sarah had brought with her, in about fifteen minutes. Dawn ducked out to show her friends before looking at herself.

This dress was stunning. Much narrower, and a mermaid cut (_imagine that_, Dawn thought), this dress was every bit as old fashioned as Dawn had envisioned. A sweetheart neckline that was covered in lace. The sturdy material of the dress, she felt, left her back completely bare; however, a 'jacket' of sorts, constructed entirely of flowery lace, created a careful web covering her back and shoulders.

"Oh, wow," Dawn breathed. "This is..."

"Dawn, did _you_ pick this one?" May asked, sounding stunned. Dawn shook her head.

"I did," Sarah said, a bit smugly. "When Dawn said she wanted lace, I immediately thought of this dress."

"Dawn," Zoey announced, "You look like a queen in this dress."

Misty smiled, Leona nodded fervently, and Johanna smiled up at her daughter. There were no tears in her eyes. Dawn chuckled.

"I love this one," Dawn stated, "but I don't think it's the _one_ yet, you know? It's a contender – I've never felt this beautiful – but I want to try on a few more."

Sarah nodded dutifully and helped her into the next dress, the one Dawn had picked for herself. She glanced in the mirror briefly before leaving, and wrinkled her nose. Sarah saw that and asked if she was ready to go out.

"I guess."

Dawn strode out and stood on the small podium and announced, "I don't like it."

"It's not the prettiest," Leona acknowledged. Zoey nodded, trying to stay quiet.

"It makes you look fat," May said bluntly. Sarah shot her a look, but Dawn laughed.

It was strapless, with a very beaded bodice. The skirt ballooned out at her hips, and there was light beading on the lower half of the skirt. Dawn shook her head immediately, and turned to go back to the dressing room. Once she was back in, Johanna asked Sarah in an undertone if she could run and grab a dress that she'd seen before. Sarah nodded before following Dawn in to help her get the dress off.

Next was May and Zoey's dress. It was much tighter, and it took a good ten minutes for Sarah to get it on. At one point, there had been a light knock on the door and Sarah had answered it and accepted a dress from whoever was at the door.

When Dawn emerged, she looked uncomfortable. Zoey and May ignored this, however, and squealed their delight over the dress. Leona raised her eyebrows, and Johanna frowned. Misty actually wrinkled her nose.

It was constructed of champagne-colored satin, had a sweetheart neckline, and was nondescript until the bottom, where there was a bit of lace decorating the hem. The back had a big bow, whose ribbons trailed to the backs of Dawn's knees.

"Dawn, you're gorgeous!" May cried.

"I don't like it," Dawn shook her head.

"Are you _blind_?" Zoey asked incredulously.

"I don't _like_ it," Dawn repeated. Leona shook her head.

"She doesn't have the same taste as you," Leona said. "When you get married, you wear it."

"It looks stupid on her," Misty said, crossing her arms. Dawn laughed at Misty's bluntness, and May and Zoey bristled at her.

Dawn went back to the dressing room, ignoring the angry mutterings of May and Zoey (fortunately now directed at Misty).

"So," Sarah said, shutting the door behind them, "I have one more dress before we go hunting for more."

"Okay," Dawn sighed.

Sarah helped her into the last dress, and insisted that Dawn keep her eyes closed. She led her out to the podium, and Dawn heard the gasps of her friends.

"Closed, closed, closed," Sarah insisted. "Little step up onto the podium – now turn – a little bit more. There, perfect. Okay, look at yourself."

Dawn peeked through her eyelashes before her eyes flew open. "Oh... Arceus," she breathed, staring at the dress.

It was sensational. Strapless, with a sweetheart neckline. Just under the neckline, there was a delicate v of crystalline beading before it was overtaken by criss-crossing draped white fabric; at Dawn's waist, it tapered out in clouds of tulle. The very top layer of tulle glittered subtly.

"Dawn, you're a princess," Leona whispered.

"Oh, Dawn," May mumbled. She didn't seem able to articulate any other words.

"You're hot," Zoey supplied. The five young women along with Sarah laughed. Misty just smiled again. Dawn could feel that her eyes were wet, but she sought her mother's face.

There were tears streaming down Johanna's face.

"Oh, honey," Johanna sniffed. "You're the most beautiful girl in the world."

"I don't ever want to take it off," Dawn announced, drawing more laughter from her friends.

"Is this your dress?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Dawn answered, wiping her eyes. "This is definitely my dress."

Her friends burst into applause while she hugged Sarah.

"Wait – who actually picked this dress?" May asked. Sarah smiled and pointed at Johanna.

"Mama, this was you?" Dawn asked, her mouth falling open.

"Mother knows best, Dawn," Johanna said wryly. "And since I'm paying – I thought I should get you in my choice. Icing on the cake that you picked it."

- / - / - / -

Dawn's measurements took much longer than anticipated – her mother and friends had wandered the store, making mental notes for when they got married. When Dawn emerged from alterations, it was well past two o' clock.

"C'mon, I'm starving," May grumbled. "We won't get into anywhere good for at least an hour. Cities suck."

"There's a nice Italian place not too far from here," Misty said. "It's not usually too crowded."

"You don't even live here, how do you know?" Zoey asked.

"My sisters live here almost full-time. They tell me things."

The women went to lunch, and continued to gush about Dawn's dress. Dawn noticed that Misty seemed more than reserved, so when the redhead got up to go to the bathrooms, Dawn followed her.

"Misty," Dawn began as soon as the bathroom door swung shut behind them, "what's wrong? Something's been off all day."

Misty let out her breath in a gust.

"Look, I really appreciate that you wanted me to come, and so flattered that you wanted me as a bridesmaid," Misty paused to rub her eyes. "And I don't want this to come off wrong, really. But I just... I don't know you. I'm uncomfortable with being your bridesmaid when I don't know anything about you. And you don't know anything about me, though that's less relevant when it's your wedding. So – though I appreciate your asking me, and I think you're a really sweet girl, I don't want to be in your wedding."

"Okay," Dawn said. "That is more than fair. You don't have to be a bridesmaid. I just... Didn't want to offend you, I guess."

"Thanks," Misty said, looking happier. "That makes me feel better. I'll be less awkward for the rest of the day."

"Deal," Dawn smiled and returned to the table. Misty joined her a few minutes later, and, as promised, was more animated than she'd been all trip.

- / - / - / -

"Whaddya think the girls are doing?" Ash asked Paul again. Paul closed his eyes and prayed to a deity he did not believe in for strength not to kill his fianceé's friend. That was probably a bad idea.

"It's seven o' clock now. They probably are eating."

"I missed dinner? Aw, _man_!" Ash groaned. They were walking to the Pokémon center after a long day of rigorous battling. True to his word, Paul could still sweep the floor with Ash in a battle.

"Eat something when you go back."

"Don't you mean when we go back?" Ash asked, confused.

"No. You're dropping off your pathetic excused for Pokémon at the center and going back to the hotel," Paul corrected maliciously. Ash opened his mouth, but Paul cut him off. "I have no intention of stopping my training for the day now. I don't have plans until eleven."

"Fine," Ash snapped. "I have no idea why she's marrying you. You're still a pig."

"So I've been told," Paul snorted.

- / - / - / -

"Come _on_, Dee-Dee," Leona whined through her door. "We want to go! And I know you're dressed, you showed us your dress an hour ago."

"I'm coming, Leona," Dawn called. "Don't worry, we'll get our guided tour and free drink."

It was ten-fifteen when Dawn threw a final glance at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a loose-fitting bright pink dress. Simple but eye-catching – her favorite.

"Okay, let's go!" Dawn howled, grabbing Leona's hand and racing to join their friends elevators.

"You're a knockout, girl," Leona giggled. "If you weren't engaged already, I'd say the way you look now's enough to make a man get on one knee."

"Or two," Zoey said lewdly from behind them, "if you know what I mean."

"You're gross," Dawn laughed. "We make a pretty bunch, don't you think?"

"Of course – now enough small talk," May said impatiently. "I want to get drunk and dance!"

"You're headed for the perfect place for that," Misty said drily. Dawn flashed Misty a grin, which was tentatively returned.

They reached the lobby, where Ash was waiting for them. "You girls look amazing," he called. "Let's hit it, okay?"

- / - / - / -

Paul stepped cautiously inside the front doors of Pure Instinct, and was overwhelmed by the onslaught of smells that hit him. Sweat, alcohol, and some other smell he couldn't quite place saturated the air. It was impossibly dark. He could make out the shape of tables on the level he was on. There was a dance floor sunk into the ground, with a neon bar on the far wall. Strobe lights gave the room an ethereal quality, illuminating the mass of dancing bodies on the floor in front of him. He wrinkled his nose. He would definitely need a drink to tolerate tonight. A girl with long blonde hair shoved past him and ran outside. He could hear her vomiting wetly on the sidewalk outside. Several drinks, then.

He made his way to the bar. He was supposed to meet Dawn and her friends here, but he doubted they would miss him. Paul didn't think they liked him, much, and to be frank, he didn't like any of them. He'd been very civil to them, though. He was rather proud that he hadn't made many snide comments about them within their hearing.

The bartender was a tall man with dark hair that kept falling in his face. Paul glanced down the bar, trying to see if anything looked appealing. It didn't.

"Can I get you something?" the bartender said in a low voice. Were he female or gay, Paul was sure he would find this man's voice very attractive, he thought vaguely.

"Yeah... Shot of Jack Daniels, shot of Jäger, shot of Cuervo," Paul muttered. He needed it strong if he was expected to make it through this night.

"Control-Alt.-Delete," the bartender grinned. Paul was dimly surprised that the man knew the name of the drink. Paul paid while the bartender poured the shots and pushed them across the bar to him. "Good luck then, my man."

Paul downed the three shots one after another and made a face. _The price one pays_, Paul thought wryly. He hated the taste of Jäger, but it – along with the other two – got the job done, and quick. He drummed his fingers on the bar, and turned to look around for Dawn. He'd said he would be here at eleven. It was eleven thirty now.

Dawn felt that fifth shot of tequila. It was hot in her head and she could feel it pounding in her blood. Oh, it was probably not a good idea to take that last shot. She moved her hips quicker in time with the music, letting her head sway with them. It felt nice. Maybe the strobe lights were making her head move slower. Where was Paul? He said he'd be here. The music was loud, and she let the tequila guide her body's movements.

"Let's go to the bar," May yelled in her ear over the music. Dawn shook her head and tried to get lost in the dancing again. "Dawn, let's _go_."

Dawn felt May tug her arm and she followed her friend away from the dancers. "Why did we go?" Dawn whined.

"Because, you should have seen the way that guy was looking at you," May giggled. "I thought he was going to pounce any second."

Dawn twisted and tried to go back to the dance. "Was he cute?"

"Dawn, you're engaged," May said. Dawn registered, somehow, that it was interesting how May could sound disapproving now when she couldn't sober.

"My fianceé doesn't love me," Dawn laughed. She doubled over laughing so hard. "He doesn't even like me, May! Hahaha, isn't that funny?"

"Not really," May said, trying to pull Dawn up. "Besides, he does like you."

"Nuh-uh," Dawn wheezed through her laughter. "He doesn't, May! He thinks I'm an annoying little girl, haha. I like him though, haha. I do. Haha, _I do_, I have to say that at the wedding. Isn't that _funny?_"

"You like him? Why've you been saying you don't?"

"Of course I like him, May!" Dawn said, seeming offended. "He's really nice to me sometimes, when no one else is around. And I have to say I don't like him 'cause he hates me, and we're just getting married 'cause we have to. Plus, we sleep together _every_ _night_."

"You and I both know it's just sleeping, Dawn."

"So what. I _like_ him, May –" Dawn slurred.

"That's good, Dawn," May whispered, "because he's coming over here now."

"He came?" Dawn squealed.

"Please don't say anything stupid to him, Dawn."

"Shh, it's Paul!" Dawn squeaked, dissolving into laughter again. She was unaware of May and Paul having a conversation above her head until a new hand took hers. She knew instinctively that it was Paul's. She let him pull her up and hold her steady.

"I'll look after her," Paul said smoothly. "Don't worry, May."

"You know her name?" Dawn whispered loudly. She heard him laugh. Well, felt him laugh, really.

"What do you want to do?" he murmured against her ear. She shivered.

"I want to dance," she said breathlessly. Paul wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the packed dance floor. She started moving in time with the beat immediately, and he could feel the bass pulsing through the floor in his head, his bones, in his heart. The drinks and the music were energizing him; he could feel his skin tingling. He watched Dawn dance, watched her hips as they ground out the rhythm to a song he didn't know, couldn't even hear any more – there was nothing anymore but the pulse of the base and Dawn's hips as she danced.

She glanced up and saw Paul and she smiled at him. Not in a way she's ever smiled at him before. It's... sexy, and seductive. He smiles back lazily, and her arms shoot out of nowhere and land on his hips. She pulls him forward and he stumbled blindly, feeling their bodies collide. Her hands slid to his wrists and she wrapped his hands around her body, letting them rest on her lower back. Very low on her lower back. One of her bare legs is trapped between his thighs. He is acutely, painfully aware of that leg, aware of every little move it makes. Dawn pushed herself closer to him; he can feel the heat of her breasts through his shirt. His breathing hitched and came in harder, faster breaths. Blood pounded in his ears, and the alcohol made him bold.

Paul snaked his hands down lower, and Dawn gasped and pushed her leg hard into his erection. He moaned and dropped his head onto her shoulder, the feeling making him feel dizzy. It was all he could do to stay standing. He felt her lips on his neck and groaned again. Encouraged, Dawn traced circles on his neck with her tongue, moving slowly up towards his jawline. She moved her leg against the hardness pressed against it and heard him moan again.

"Dawn..."

He raises his head and looks at her, lust clear in his gaze. He's surprised to see it reflected in hers. She raised up on to her tiptoes, her leg dragging agonizingly against him, and kissed him. His head was spinning as he kissed her back. She flicked her tongue against her lower lip, and he sighed and opened his mouth. He felt her hot tongue slip inside his mouth. He sucked hard, and felt her moan.

The song changed, and the beat of this song was faster. Paul didn't hear the change, but Dawn's dancing changed. She didn't mean for it to; she wasn't hearing the music anymore, but her hips were wired to the music – their speed changed with the pulsing bass. Her thigh moved more quickly, the friction harder and faster against his erection than before. He released her mouth, too focused on the feeling to think of anything else.

"Oh, _fuck_," he moaned against her ear. She stood on her toes again, this time to reach his ear; she nipped his ear gently and sucked on the soft skin just below his ear lobe.

"Yes," Dawn moaned in his ear, "_let's._"

- / - / - / - / - / -

**A/N**: I know, I'm horrible, it's been 80 billion years. I'd cite school as my excuse, but it's not. It's all Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Rooney Mara in the American version of the movie is the new love of my life. BUT this chapter was nice and long and ended so nicely, don't you think? Muahaha.

Oh, and also, Paul can "sweep the floor" with Ash in a battle because I pretend the Pokémon League in Sinnoh never happened. Lolz. Ash could never beat Paul. End of story.

I have links to all of the dresses Dawn tried on, for visuals. Let me know if you want to see them... Or when it's not the middle of the night, I'll figure out how to put them in here... Maybe...


End file.
